The Cost of Ambition
by NYC0123
Summary: Naruto was born as the illegitimate son of the renowned military leader, Minato Namikaze. Now, with both his parents dead, he leads an army of his own, in the name of his King, Hiruzen Sarutobi. However, when King Hiruzen dies without a proper heir, many powerful Lords, including Naruto, make claims to the throne. War ensues, and they will soon learn the cost of their ambition.
1. Chapter One

**Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved (Keller).**

 **(Read the Authors Note at the end of this chapter if you want to see what some of the character's weapons, armor, and clothing look like)**

 **The Cost of Ambition: Chapter One**

Naruto Uzumaki often dreamed of himself sitting on a throne, overlooking a kingdom of his own. However, it was rather unlikely that one of such low status would be able to make such a dream a reality. His ambition was well known within the military ranks, and while he was highly respected for his battle prowess and military genius, nobody believed he would ever have what he wanted. Well, except for one person, his best friend, Itachi Uchiha.

Coincidentally, upon thinking about his longtime friend, Itachi pulled up alongside him on his horse and got his attention, "The men are exhausted," the former Uchiha heir warned. "We've been traveling for nearly two days without rest. They will be useless in battle if we don't stop for the evening."

Itachi was his second in command and the only person in the entire world that he respected. Born as the eldest son of the Lord of House Uchiha, Itachi would have eventually become one of the most powerful Lords in the Land of Fire. However, when he swore his sword to Naruto, it resulted in his position as heir being revoked, which angered Lord Fugaku beyond belief.

"I intend for my force to be the first to reach the battlefield," Naruto countered resolutely without adjusting his pace.

"Then your force will be the first to die on the battlefield as well, if you don't adhere to my warning," Itachi stated in his typical stoic fashion. "You are our Commander, and we will follow you no matter what. But we are already days ahead of the others, so even if we rest for the night, we will definitely be the first to arrive."

Naruto didn't answer for several moments as he mulled over his comrade's advice. Itachi had never steered him in the wrong direction before, and he had long since grown to trust the Uchiha's opinion above those of all others. He directed his gaze back to his men and noticed that they all looked as though they would practically collapse at any moment. Upon seeing this, he realized that his right-hand man was correct, and nodded.

"Very well," he said. "Send two men to scout ahead for an adequate place to set camp."

Itachi saluted his leader by placing a closed fist on his armored chest before riding back to notify the scouts of their Commander's orders. Naruto looked towards the sky and noticed the thick dark clouds visible over the horizon. It was a sign of the fact that they would soon be entering Rain Country. Which would mark the beginning of all out battle.

One year ago, the Kingdom of Lightning invaded the Land of Rice, which was an explicit declaration of war against the Kingdom of Fire. The fighting was on and off for the entirety of the bloody year, with losses suffered on both sides, however, five months ago, the Kingdom of Lightning suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of an army led by Lord Hiashi Hyuga. Still feeling vengeful after an ambassador of Lightning Country attempted to kidnap his eldest daughter, Lord Hiashi pursued the enemy army until they were forced to fortify themselves in Rain Country. It was a last stand scenario. However, King Hiruzen Sarutobi decided that it was time to regroup his forces, but during that time it allowed for the enemy to replenish themselves.

Upon gathering the entirety of his forces, the King of Fire Country ordered an all out assault on The Kingdom of Lightning's defensive position in Rain Country. Immediately after hearing this, Naruto mobilized his forces almost three days before any of his peers. He decided that this was perfect chance to get his name put in the history books. Being credited as the man who ended the Lightning and Fire War single handed would be a huge step towards his ambition.

You see, Hiruzen was technically King Regent, since the last rightful King, Tobirama Senju, did not produce an heir. The last Senju King declared Hiruzen Sarutobi to serve as Regent, until his grandniece, Tsunade Senju, was old enough to rule. However, Tsunade had little interest in accepting her birthright and fled the capital, leaving the political landscape in shambles for quite some time. Therefore, nobody had any idea who would inherit the throne after the elderly Sarutobi king passed away; which to Naruto meant it was up for grabs.

It wasn't that Naruto was praying for the day of his King's death, but he was preparing for it. If Hiruzen died, there would be a scramble for power. Hopefully, once that day came, Naruto will have built up enough political and military power to stake a legitimate claim to the throne. Having Itachi backing him would give him some serious credibility, and being known as the man who won the war against Lightning Country would help as well.

Itachi returned to his position at Naruto's side and informed him that the scouts had returned with information regarding an area perfect for them to set camp. It was a clearing, adjacent to a river, which would provide fresh water for his men and horses. The idea was well received by his soldiers, who were clearly excited by the chance to get some rest. It didn't take them long to arrive at the river, and it took even less time to set up the camp. There were thousands of tents, and hundreds of campfires caking the landscape by the time they were finished.

In the center of the camp, was a particularly large tent, reserved for the Commander. There was a cot in the corner, which Naruto would undoubtedly be using to sleep, and a desk closer to the back, in which he was currently seated. He had removed his elegant silver armor and crimson red cloak, which were the standard dress wear of Commanders within the Kingdom of Fire's military. With his armor removed, he was clothed in a black silk tunic with black trousers tucked into leather boots.

On his desk were messages, written to him by scouts he had sent ahead days ago, with the goal of gleaning any information regarding the opposing force. Apparently, one of them had been killed by an arrow to the neck, but the other two managed to escape death long enough to send this message. However, the fact that they hadn't returned for some time led him to believe that they were also now either dead or captured.

Lightning Country had a massive force awaiting battle, a force much too large for Naruto to defeat in a direct engagement. Therefore, auxiliary tactics would become necessary if victory was to be achieved. The smartest thing to do would be to wait for the grand total of the Kingdom of Fire's forces to arrive and to attack together. However, Naruto believed that lone victory tomorrow was his destiny.

The flap of his tent was opened, and Itachi walked in without hesitation. If anyone else were to enter announced, it would be classified as flagrant disrespect, and the perpetrator would be punished for insubordination. But Itachi had a significant amount of power within Naruto's army, which allowed him certain special privileges.

"The men are ready for a fight," he said after taking a seat in front of his Commander's desk. "They think themselves to be unbeatable."

"Perhaps, but we are currently at a disadvantage," Naruto commented while observing a map of Rain Country. "We will advance upon them with barrages of skirmish cavalry, thus coaxing them into taking the offensive. In preparation for their attack, we will amass our forces here, in this open field," he said while pointing at a section of the map.

Naruto looked directly into his right-hand man's eyes and spoke, "As I imagine the coming battle, I am certain our enemies arrogance will be their downfall. I know, they will believe their overwhelming strength should crush us. They will come at us in one large charge, an unstoppable wall of flesh and steel. In their minds, they will roll over us like an avalanche roaring down a mountain side," Naruto stated almost poetically.

Itachi, enraptured with the strategy, waited for his leader to continue, "Our enemies utter contempt for our army, will spell their doom. I will place the smallest number of our infantry in the center, creating a thin line. Brave warriors, they will make the enemy pay in blood for every foot of ground. However, there won't be enough of them to hold their ground. Slowly, our center line will be pushed back. Drawing the enemy mass ever tighter as they move forward, making it increasingly impossible to maneuver and ever more difficult to even swing their swords."

"On the flanks, to the right and left of the center line, there will be equal formations of my handpicked infantry," Naruto continued. "Battle hardened veterans all; they are the pride of our army. They will give no ground. Slowly, our army will begin to take the shape of a giant crescent. The enemy, in their bloodlust, will not notice the developing danger. Nor will they notice the masses of our cavalry hidden behind the wings of my army. These horsemen know no equals, and when they charge, they will act as an irresistible wave, thundering across the battle field."

In the conclusion of his strategy, Naruto finished, "I can see it all as clearly as if we have already won. Slowly, the wings of the crescent will begin to close around the enemies mass. Then will be the time to release the horsemen, who will flank the enemy army, attacking from the back, completely surrounding the enemy forces. There will be no survivors, and thus, the war will end in a single day."

"This is incredibly risky, Naruto," Itachi warned. "There is no guarantee that they will take our bait and attack. They have the superior position, and the numbers advantage, by all means, they should hold their ground and fight on the defensive."

"One must know their enemy before engaging them in battle," Naruto retorted. "And I know that 'A the Unruly' will not decline the chance to crush a smaller opposing force. His arrogance and battle lust will be his demise and our advantage."

"You may be right," Itachi said. "But if we are defeated tomorrow, we will be punished for going against the strategy of the King. But there is also the genuine possibility that we will be punished even if we win."

"If we win this entire war tomorrow, his Majesty would be foolish to condemn our actions openly," Naruto said in an attempt to appease his friend. "The common people will sing songs of our victory, and toast to our good fortune. Our military brilliance will be undeniable, and perhaps I will finally be given a position in the Royal Court."

"All this for a place in the Royal Court?" Itachi questioned with narrowed eyes. "You would risk the lives of our men to satisfy your ambition?"

"They know what they fight for," Naruto countered. "They understand the magnitude of my ambition. Do you think I don't lose sleep over the deaths of my men? However, I know that if I am to achieve my dreams, I must be able to think objectively."

The tent was engulfed in several moments of silence before Naruto sighed, for once letting his exhaustion show. Itachi knew how stressful his Commander's life truly was. Years of enduring ridicule and snide remarks forced the blonde Uzumaki to gain an insatiable desire for glory. The fact that Naruto was an illegitimate child served as the reason behind his mistreatment. However, despite what the majority of people thought, Itachi never held the circumstances of Naruto's birth against him.

They attended the same military academy, in which they both received the highest marks. Eventually, Naruto was given command of a small legion of soldiers. After never losing a single battle, his greatness could no longer be ignored, and in spite of his status, he was given the title of Commander and was gifted a much larger force of men; the men who currently fought for him today. His charisma created absolute loyalty within his men, and his almost infallible reputation as a military leader led to his soldiers viewing him as an almost otherworldly being.

"You have long since proven that I should never doubt you," Itachi said with a rare smile. "I'll put my faith in you once more."

After bidding his Commander good night, Itachi made his way out of the tent, but not before he heard Naruto speak once more, "You are invaluable to me, Itachi. I wouldn't be where I am today without you by my side."

It was a pleasant ending to a rather tedious day. But tomorrow would prove to itself to be a bloody one. Of this, Itachi was confident.

 **~Break~**

At dawn, the forces of the Kingdom of Lightning were awoken to the sounds arrows whistling through the air. Upon gauging the attack force, they realized they were up against a small number of skirmisher cavalry. After several of their men were killed by these nuisances, King A became enraged and decided that it was time to attack their enemies with full force. General Darui advised against it, but when their King made up his mind, there was no deterring him. Soon, the entire army of Lightning marched towards their perceived enemy.

Despite that fact that it was early in the morning, it was so cloudy that it almost seemed as though it was evening. The ground was caked with wet mud, which was caused by the constant torrential downpour of this depressing country. Fighting in Rain Country was extremely difficult, which was partially why A maneuvered his army there in the first place. Not only was he able to build up an acceptable defense, but the weather would also make it much more difficult for the Kingdom of Fire to successfully invade. However, it seemed that a small force of their enemies had managed to arrive much earlier than expected.

Darui was extremely unnerved by the circumstances of this battle. Unlike his King, he was very calm and composed in his decision making. Which was why he felt that it was rather evident that the earlier cavalry attack was initiated in an attempt to rile King A up, to force him into attacking. If that was the case, Darui was worried about what he was marching his men into.

Surprisingly, when he initially saw the opposing army, he noticed that he outnumbered them significantly. He sighed in relief when he realized that he wasn't being forced into a fight with the entire Kingdom of Fire's forces. Darui was now confident in his ability to win this fight since he specialized in commanding scores of men. After observing the size of his opponent's army, he ordered his men to form their ranks. He imagined that the enemy forces were getting incredibly intimidated at seeing the large army amassing before their very eyes. This was how the Kingdom of Lightning defeated their enemies, through brute force and intimidation.

Upon realizing that his enemy would not attack first, Darui signaled for his men to advance, and the massive army began their march with heavy, purposeful steps. The rain cascaded off the armor of his troops, and he saw several of them being forced to wipe the water out of their eyes. It seemed that the wind was blowing the rain directly into his men's faces, and a small, worried, part of him wondered if his opponent chose this battlefield knowing that the wind would act in such a way. However, he immediately purged the thought from his mind. Such a brilliant military mind didn't exist.

Speaking of strategy, Darui's was rather simple. His army would break through the center of the enemies line, thus dividing his opponent's army into two. Then, he'd use his superior numbers to overpower the two halves, which would then result in resounding victory.

They had employed this strategy before against the Kingdom of Fire, and to great success. Typically, the Armies of Fire, as they were commonly referred as, were significantly smaller than that of the Kingdom of Lighting. King A believed that the larger and better-equipped army would always win, and for the most part, he was correct. In fact, before their defeat at the hands of Hiashi Hyuga, they had been winning the war using these tactics. For those reasons, among others, Darui placed the strongest and most experienced of his soldiers at the center of his own line, so they'd make quick work of the enemy.

When his men made contact with the enemy, the battlefield was filled with the sound of clanging steel. Surprisingly, the opposing army put up a respectable fight, and Darui's soldiers were forced to use every bit of effort to gain any ground. Knowing that the battle would take several hours to reach its resolution, Darui sighed. He would never become used to the horrors of combat. Even as the thought crossed his mind, hundreds of people were dying, in both the Army of Fire and the Army of Lightning.

Thankfully, he was too far back from the conflict to be able to smell the metallic odor of the blood or hear the gurgled screams of those who lost their lives. However, he was grateful for the fact that his plan seemed to be working. In spite of the enemies efforts, Darui's forces were slowly but surely pushing the enemies center line back. Eventually, it would break, and in a few more hours the battle would finally be over.

Darui was close enough to the fighting to see a young blonde man, riding a beautiful white horse, trotting behind the center line of the Fire Army. Upon seeing the man's silver armor and red cape-like cloak, he realized that he was looking at the enemy commander. Admirably, the blonde general was giving commands and repositioning his soldiers in the center line, even as they were being forced back by Darui's superior forces. It seemed that the smaller army had bitten off more than they could chew. Regardless, Darui still found himself respecting the composure and bravery of his blonde opponent.

However, Darui began to get concerned with the fact that the right and left sides of the enemy army were still holding strong against his assault. As his forces continued to push the enemies center line back, Darui noticed that the previously mentioned right and left sides of his opponent's line began to pivot inward. Darui immediately noticed the mistake he had made but realized that his forces were too committed to attacking his opponent's center to adjust their strategy.

While his opponent's center had been pushed back significantly during the battle, the right and left sides of the Fire Army remained in the same position they started the battle in. Now that they pivoted towards the center, and faced the sides of Darui's army directly, he realized that his forces were surrounded on three sides. The numbers advantage he had been relying on earlier was being crushed before his very eyes.

Darui was about to prepare to bark an order when he saw a large number of enemy cavalry revealed themselves on the battlefield. They must have been hiding behind the Fire Army, waiting in reserve. At the head of the cavalry, Darui was able to make out the face of a handsome young man with black ponytailed hair and high-quality steel armor. The black haired man looked remarkably calm, which only served to unnerve Darui even more. Seeing as he had no cavalry support, Darui could only watch in horror as the enemy horsemen flanked around the Lightning army and attacked the back of his already weakened forces. His army was now officially surrounded on all sides, which spelled certain doom for them.

After narrowing his eyes in determination, Darui commanded his horse to ride forward. He and his guards charged into the battle with valor, and it was utter chaos. Thousands of people were dying all around him, and he couldn't help but noticed that almost all of them were his men. Darui felt an arrow narrowly miss his head and continued to ride forward to the center of the battle. Along the way, he killed several Fire soldiers and was nearly killed by a spear that almost pierced him in the chest. Thankfully, he survived, and in the midst of the chaos, he saw something utterly amazing. Situated on his horse, with his elegant silver armor completely unmarred by any dirt, blood, or damage, was the enemy commander.

His blond hair made him very easy to notice, which made Darui wonder how he managed to not get hit by a stray arrow. The blonde general was young, even younger than the black-haired man he had seen leading the enemy cavalry earlier. Darui couldn't believe it, he had been utterly outclassed in battle by a kid, no older than nineteen years. He began to trot towards the blonde teen on his horse. The slow trot soon sped up into a gallop of impressive speed, and Darui only had murder on his mind. He may not be able to win this battle, but he would take the enemy commander with him. With every second he inched closer and closer to his target but was surprised to see the blonde calmly turn his head to face him. Before Darui could express his shock, he felt something stab into his shoulder, and he was launched off of his horse.

Before he could make to stand up, he was struck in the head and lost conciseness completely. It was over, he had lost.

 **~Break~**

Hours had passed since the battle, and all that remained were the thousands of enemy corpses. Naruto's plan worked to perfection, and his army suffered minor causalities throughout the engagement. In the end, the entire remaining army of the Kingdom of Lightning had been wiped off the map. Now, 'A the Unruly' would be forced to retreat back to his own country, with his tail tucked between his legs.

As Itachi watched Naruto delegating over his victorious army, he couldn't help but imagine that day that Naruto would become King. The events of today couldn't possibly be ignored, and historians would discuss the strategies of Naruto Uzumaki hundreds of years from now. Naruto had said that he would defeat the entire Lightning Army in a single day, and he did just that. Itachi wouldn't help but admire a man who called his shot and then was successful.

The men were celebrating their victory, and Itachi was happy that they had received a well-deserved break. While Naruto's genius battle tactics were what won them the day, it was the men who risked their lives in the battle. They were drinking, singing and dancing, which brought a small, almost unnoticeable smile to the former Uchiha heir's face. Today, nearly twenty thousand men had died, but at least they could say that they were on the winning side.

Naruto would no doubt spend the remainder of his evening resting in his tent since he no longer possessed what he considered to be a 'childlike' desire to celebrate. The battle had taken a few hours to end, and Naruto exerted a tremendous amount of mental and physical energy throughout the entire process. His Commander never ceased to amaze him, not even for a moment.

Suddenly, the sound of a loud horn could be heard ringing in the distance, and every soldier in the camp rose to their feet and stood at attention; they all knew what the sound of the horn meant. As expected, a small number of the royal guard first trotted through the entrance of the camp. Soon after, five men also arrived on horseback, and the entirety of Naruto's army kneeled as one of the guests was King Hiruzen.

The King observed the camp with an unreadable gaze and the men didn't know whether or not to be afraid. Thankfully, Hiruzen soon ordered his subjects to rise and continue on with their celebration. The sounds of the party soon echoed throughout the area once more and Hiruzen, along with his companions, dismounted their horses. Itachi recognized the other four men as Lords Danzo Shimura, Hiashi Hyuga, Shikaku Nara, and last but certainly not least, Fugaku Uchiha.

Naruto approached his King directly before placing a closed fist over his heart, the universal salute of the military of the Kingdom of Fire. Hiruzen returned the gesture but did not speak. He continued to stare into Naruto's eyes, with his hands folded behind his back. While Naruto was significantly taller than the Sarutobi King, it didn't make the elderly man's presence any less intimidating.

"I don't recall you requesting permission to engage the enemy, Commander Naruto," Hiruzen said, finally speaking.

"I apologize, your Grace," Naruto calmly responded. "But I saw an opportunity to end this war here, today. My men were clamoring for a fight, and I was completely confident in my ability to lead them to victory. And we were succes-"

"I am very much aware of your success," Hiruzen interrupted. "As we made our way here, some of the locals described the 'incredible' battle they just witnessed. Imagine my surprise when I discover that one of my men, engaged the enemy without my expressed permission. Do you think victory makes you insubordination acceptable?"

"I believe that anything done in the name of victory is acceptable, your Grace."

"Even treason?" Hiashi cut in, in a disgusted tone. It was clear that he did not approve of Naruto audacious act. Or perhaps it was because he had always hated Naruto to a particular degree, especially after what happened with Lady Hinata.

"I fight for his Majesty, and the Kingdom of Fire," Naruto stated. "I have always done so, and tonight, I proved my mettle. Regardless of what you think of me, my actions have brought an end to this bloody conflict, with minimal casualties to our forces."

There was no response, which made sense since it was difficult to argue against Naruto's logic. It was clear that Lord Hiashi was allowing his personal feelings to cloud his judgment, and Itachi didn't appreciate the man's attempt at insulting his Commander's accomplishment. Unsurprisingly, Itachi had yet to hear his father utter a single word, which was very much like the man.

"I hear that you left none of the enemy alive," Danzo commented, breaking the silence with his typical stoic, unreadable voice. However, there was an underlying layer of admiration that Itachi managed to notice. "Twenty thousand dead."

"Yes, Lord Danzo," Naruto clarified. "However, I did manage to capture one of A's high ranking generals. I've identified him as Darui, the leader of the Black Lightning Army."

The Black Lightning Army was legendary in the Land of Lightning. They were considered to be the very best of the best, capable of annihilating their enemies in very short periods of time. Knowing that Naruto made quick work of them was a testament to his talent.

"I will be taking custody of your prisoner," Hiruzen stated calmly. "Allow your men to continue resting. I will lead the remainder of our forces and make sure that A, and the rest of his troops, are driven from this country."

Naruto saluted his King once more, and Hiruzen and his generals remounted their horses and rode out of the camp. After their guests finally left, Itachi was able to notice that his Commander was rather miffed, likely because the King hadn't complimented his victory. For Naruto, this battle was his opportunity to move up the political ladder, but all he received was a stern lecture and accusations of insubordination.

The blonde Uzumaki calmly walked into his tent and Itachi followed soon after. He was welcomed by the sight of his Commander leaning back in his chair while running his fingers through his spiky blonde locks. Naruto had taken a gamble by fighting here today, and it seemed that nobody respected his accomplishment.

"Your father would have been proud of your victory against a larger army, Naruto," Itachi said in an attempt to cheer his friend up.

Naruto scoffed, "My father would have been disgusted with me," he argued in an exhausted tone. "You were correct earlier, Itachi. I did risk the lives of my men for my own ambition. My father would never have approved of my selfishness. And even with a resounding victory, I still receive no respect. Hiashi and the other Lords still look at me as if I am some mangy dog."

"Hiashi will always hate you, Naruto," Itachi stated. "He needed someone to blame for Hinata's death, and you were the easiest choice."

Two years ago, when Hinata Hyuga and Naruto were seventeen, they both fled the capital. The two teens had loved each other for years, but Hiashi would never allow them to marry. To counter that, the two ran to a lone priest and were married in secret. In practically no time at all, Hinata was pregnant with Naruto's child. However, she soon grew sick, and when giving birth to the infant, her body could not take the strain, and she died. The child, a boy, managed to survive, but Naruto was devastated by his wife's death.

Hiashi was beyond enraged, and he immediately declared war on the blonde Uzumaki, who he accused of kidnapping and raping his daughter. Thankfully, King Hiruzen put an end to the animosity by arranging a meeting between Naruto and the Hyuga Lord. Hiashi had always wanted a son, so he said he'd pardon Naruto's actions, if he and Hinata's son, Boruto, were given to House Hyuga, to be raised as Hiashi's grandson and successor. Naruto initially refused; however, the King forced him to agree to the terms and the rest is history.

"I haven't seen him since he was born," Naruto stated. "He's barely over a year old, and he will grow up not knowing his father."

"Boruto will be strong, like you," Itachi said in a calming tone. "This separation between the two of you won't last forever. At least Hiashi has been treating him well."

"The man isn't foolish enough to blame an infant for the sins of their father," Naruto responded. "And Boruto is still his grandson, so I don't doubt that Hiashi loves him. However, he is my son and heir, I should be the one raising him."

Itachi didn't respond, but he couldn't help but be sympathetic to Naruto's plight. The blonde Uzumaki's dream was to establish a dynasty in his name, and having a son and heir was a large step towards that goal. Itachi wasn't really sure if Naruto genuinely loved Boruto as a son, or if he only viewed him as a valuable political piece. Since Boruto was now the heir to House Hyuga, Naruto could use that as a way to get the noble house's support if he were one day to become King.

After several hours of partying, the camp was soon engulfed in silence as the men slept. In a few days, they would travel back to the capital city. Hopefully, things would simmer down a bit by then. But Itachi, ever the realist, knew that things were only going to get more chaotic from here.

 **~End~**

 **If there is any confusion regarding the strategy Naruto used in the battle, it was based on the tactics Hannibal Barco employed in the Battle of Cannae. I highly recommend you research the battle as it was a fascinating moment in history.**

 **This story will be a bit different from my other one, which is set in the normal Naruto Universe. I have decided to write this story in a medieval setting. The geography of the Elemental Nations is the same, but now King's rule rather than Kages. There is no chakra in this story, so characters will have to rely on intelligence, large armies, and alliances. In the beginning, I wanted to allow the characters to utilize chakra, but it would make the need for armies useless. If Naruto had chakra, he wouldn't need an army to become king, since in canon he has godlike power. This story will be a sort of political drama with a lot of battle and actions scenes. I realize that some of you may not be as interested in this genre, so I understand if you decide that this story isn't for you, but I'd appreciate it if you gave this a chance. However, worry not, since _The Monster Within Us All_ will continue to be updated reguarly.**

 **If you want to see what Naruto's armor looks like, Google Griffith Hawk of Light Armor. For this picture make sure you are looking through Google Images, otherwise, you may not be referencing the image I am talking about. I know a lot of you may hate Griffith, and for good reason, but you can't deny that his armor looks amazing.**

 **Thank you all very much.**


	2. Chapter Two

**There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a King. (Orison Swett Marden).**

 **(Read the Authors Note at the end of this chapter if you want to see what some of the character's weapons, armor, and clothing look like)**

 **The Cost of Ambition: Chapter Two**

Unlike their arrival to Rain Country, Naruto and his army were the last of the Kingdom of Fire's forces to make it through the gates of the capital. King Hiruzen arrived earlier in the evening since he preferred to avoid the mob of common people that would have gathered during the day. However, Naruto, who was known for being a man of the people, was basking in their attention. As his army marched through the city, the sea of people parted around them. Naruto rode his beautiful white horse and waved to the commoners, which elicited shouts of glee and admiration. As Naruto had predicted, the people had learned that he had defeated the Lightning Army single handed, and as if this moment, the blonde Uzumaki was the most famous man in the city.

Itachi was all right with letting his Commander receive the majority of the attention. Unlike Naruto, he was uncomfortable with praise, especially from people that he had never met. Nevertheless, Itachi couldn't help but notice the women in the crowd reaching out to him in longing. He was no fool, he knew that he was attractive, but he was never interested in sex or romantic relationships. Had he been, he had little doubt he would have suffered the tragedy of losing his love, similarly to how Naruto did with Hinata.

He often wondered if Naruto desired the love of the people, and the approval of the nobility, as a way to fill the hole in his heart. First, Naruto's mother died during childbirth. Then, seven years later, Lord Minato grew ill and passed away in his sleep. Finally, Itachi figured Hinata's death was the last straw, since Naruto now avoided creating any meaningful bonds with anyone. Now, all he had were superficial relationships. Actually, he supposed that Naruto still had one true bond remaining; that bond being his friendship with Itachi.

When Itachi was twenty-years-old, he was accepted into the Military Academy. His father didn't approve, since he desired for his son to become the next Lord of House Uchiha. However, for the first time, Itachi ignored his father's wishes, and it felt great. After making it into the Academy, he initially thought he was the youngest person in attendance, until he saw the blond teen seated in the front row. It shocked him that someone the same age as his brother, Sasuke, passed the entrance exam. Seeing as they were both the youngest in their class, Itachi seated himself next to the blond Uzumaki, and they had been friends ever since.

Naruto and Itachi continued on to the Royal Keep, and their men returned to the garrison. A meeting involving the various military leaders in the kingdom had been arranged by King Hiruzen, and if they didn't hurry, they'd be late. They dismounted their horses and made the long walk up the stairs to the Keep. The building was beautiful, yet at the same time, rather daunting. It was crafted by the greatest builders in the Kingdom, and was widely accepted as one of the wonders of the world.

They were granted entry by the guards and were escorted to the meeting room, during which, they walked past the throne. It was a large, elevated chair, lined with gold; and it was the source of Naruto's ambition. The first time he saw the throne, he knew that it one day had to be his. Sure, it started off as the dream of a young child, but eventually, it became something more. The very existence of the throne was what motivated Naruto to wake up in the morning and live on.

After pausing for a split second, as if he was observing his destiny, Naruto continued walking alongside their escorts. A group of servant girls slinked by them, and Itachi couldn't help but notice their cheeks redden as they saw the blonde Uzumaki. By all means, Naruto looked like the proverbial knight in shining armor. Every inch of his body, excluding his head, was covered in magnificent non-bulky silver armor that clung tightly to legs, arms, and chest. His blonde hair was practically radiant, and his red cape flowed behind him as he walked. He definitely had the look of royalty.

When the entered the meeting room, Itachi noticed that they were the last people to arrive. He and Naruto took their seats at the table, with everyone's eyes glued to them. It was an intense moment, but the two young men were completely composed despite it all. After a certain number of bloody battles, one learned how to remain calm at all times, regardless of the circumstances.

Finally, King Hiruzen tapped his hand on the table three times to gain everyone's attention. It worked, and the entire room was staring raptly at their King. As usual, the Hiruzen controlled the pace of the conversation by remaining silent for nearly a minute. Finally, he spoke.

"The war has officially concluded," he announced. "After being soundly defeated, 'A the Unruly' has retreated back to the confines of his kingdom, significantly weakened."

The room was filled with murmurs; however, the only woman in the chamber decided to speak loud enough for everyone to hear, "And I suppose we have the 'great' Naruto Uzumaki to thank for this, no?" Tsume, the Lady of House Inuzuka commented snidely.

Nobody vocally acknowledged her comment, but faint chuckles could be heard throughout the room. After a few moments, she stood from her chair and glared directly at Naruto, "Had you waited for the rest of our forces like you were supposed to, the battle would have been won anyway. But you wanted all the credit for yourself, right? You sociopath."

"Enough!" Hiruzen bellowed, shocking everyone in the room. "Naruto Uzumaki is one of my military commanders, and will be given the respect his position deserves. Do you all understand me?"

Naruto showed no signs of being irritated by the rude comment, which didn't surprise Itachi one bit. After years of endless ridicule, the blonde had long since stopped letting the mean comments get to him. However, Itachi fixed his intense stare directly onto the Lady Tsume. Her eyes met his, and neither moved for several moments. Eventually, Tsume looked away, which Itachi chalked up as a small victory. Nobody disrespected his Commander.

"I must say, I'm impressed with the way you won the Battle, Commander Naruto," Shikaku complimented. "Even I couldn't have one against those odds."

"You flatter me, Lord Shikaku," Naruto responded humbly. "But I'm sure you would have been victorious as well."

The pleasant conversation was interrupted as Fugaku finally decided to speak, "While his victory was indeed impressive, it cannot be ignored that Commander Uzumaki clearly ignored the chain of command. With all due respect, there should be consequences for such an action, otherwise, how can we expect others in the future to not try the same thing?"

Many people throughout the room nodded their heads in agreement. To be fair, Fugaku made a reasonable point. Naruto had put personal glory over the objective of the Kingdom. Had he not managed to win the battle, he would have been branded as a traitor. However, despite all this, Itachi had to support his Commander.

"Frankly, all that matters is that the war is now over," Itachi defended, getting everyone's attention and causing his father to scowl. "Only Naruto is audacious enough to face an enemy army, over twice the size of his own, and then still achieve victory. It is his unique combination of fearlessness and brilliance that makes him special, and an invaluable member of our military. If you punish him for his actions, you'll be condemning a man who risked everything for this Kingdom. Can you, in good conscience, do that?"

The room was silent, minus the faint murmuring that could be made out. It seemed as though Itachi's mini-speech at managed to negate any further opposition. However, the primary focus of his attention was his father staring at him from across the table. Fugaku had never been happy with the fact that his heir decided to serve as the right hand for a low-born military commander. Not that the Lord of House Uchiha hated Naruto, in fact, he had complimented the blonde Uzumaki's abilities on several occasions. No, he was upset because he felt like his son should be a leader, not someone who serves others.

"I for one think that Commander Naruto should be rewarded for his tremendous victory," Danzo announced stoically, surprising the room's occupants. "Perhaps a position in the Royal Court would suffice, your Grace?"

Everyone's attention shifted back to their King as they watched the elderly man mule over the proposition. The majority of the people at the meeting wouldn't approve of Naruto being anywhere near the Royal Court. However, if their King ordered it, they would be foolish to object.

"I believe it is too early for young Naruto to be given such a position," Hiruzen stated. "It is an immense responsibility, even for a man with decades of experience. Perhaps sometime in the future, but as for now, I will have to decline the proposal."

Many of the lords in the room looked pleased with their Kings decision, which wasn't at all surprising. After a few more minutes of discussion, mostly regarding the post-war procedure, the meeting ended, and everyone was dismissed. The lesser lords were quick to leave, but Naruto and the high-lords stayed seated a bit longer. Naruto was staring at the table, with no discernible expression on his face. However, it was clear that he was less than pleased with King Hiruzen's denial of his maturity.

Finally, Naruto rose from his chair, and Itachi followed immediately after. Unsurprisingly, as they exited the Council Chambers, they were followed by Lady Tsume, who was apparently still cross with them. Unlike the majority of women in the Kingdom, Lady Tsume was wearing armor befitting of a man. While she was considerably shorter than both Naruto and Itachi, her presence felt much larger.

"You're lucky that the King holds you so dear to his heart, Uzumaki," she said while getting dangerous close to Naruto's personal space. "If anyone else had done what you did, they'd be in chains right now."

Itachi noticed Lady Tsume's personal guard approaching, and he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, in preparation for the possibility that they may try to attack his Commander. The tension became thick, and the Inuzuka guards looked as though they were about to shed blood. However, before things could escalate, Tsume called them off and was about to walk away. However, before leaving, she stared into Naruto's eyes with an unreadable expression. It was different from the glare she had been sending his way earlier, but he couldn't quite make out what it meant.

"It was a pleasure speaking with you, as always, Lady Tsume," Naruto said politely as she walked away.

"Now do you see why I revoked my position as the heir of my House?" Itachi calmly asked once they were the last two people in the hall. The two soldiers continued to slowly walk through the Keep. "If I hadn't, I'd have to deal with these people on a regular basis."

"Oh relax Itachi," Naruto countered. "Lady Tsume was merely 'flexing her muscles' in an attempt to assert her dominance. Things were never going to get violent."

"That's not what I was talking about. During the meeting, everyone was silently praying for the King to punish you. How can you desire to associate yourself with the very people who wish to see you fail?" Itachi asked, in a moment of rare concern.

Naruto didn't answer for a few moments, and the two finally exited the Keep and began the slow walk down the front steps, "Their opinions matter little to me," Naruto clarified after his extended pause. "I don't care if they hate me in the bottom of their hearts. But one day, I will become King, and then they'll have to respect me, whether they like it or not."

Itachi chose not to vocalize his skepticism. While it was true that people would be forced to respect Naruto if he became King, it would all be superficial. Everyone would pretend to admire him, and then slander him behind his back. Itachi would prefer to have a small number of people who genuinely cared about him, rather than a large number of individuals who pretend to.

"Will we be attending the royal ball tonight?" Itachi asked, secretly hoping that Naruto wouldn't want to go.

"Of course," Naruto said. "We will be expected to be there. Besides, it will be good for you to do some socializing."

"Like you are one to talk. You speak as though I'm not your only friend," Itachi countered with a rare joke.

"The only friend that I need," Naruto responded with an equally rare, genuine smile.

 **~Break~**

It was an extravagant event, and everyone was dressed for the occasion. In the room were tables for those who desire to dine on any of the expensive food, and further to the left, there was an area reserved for those who wished to dance. A band was playing music that reeked of aristocracy, and Itachi couldn't help but be reminded of his childhood. Hopefully, having to attend such events wouldn't become the norm.

He looked towards his Commander and once again took note of Naruto's clothes. The blonde was wearing black pants, which he had tucked into a pair of black leather boots. Above his waist, he wore an almost sky-blue silk tunic under a dark blue unbuttoned justacorps coat (long, knee-length coat) that widened at the cuffs and cut just above his knees. The buttons of his coat were made of gold, and overall, he was probably the most elegant looking person in the room.

Itachi settled for a simple, yet still formal, black silk tunic with black pants and black boots. His clothing wasn't nearly as luxurious as Naruto's, but he didn't look any less regal. Every since Itachi was young, he was often told that he was born with a highborn face and that even if he were clothed in dirty rags, he would still look like someone born from nobility.

As they entered the ball, they garnered many stares. This didn't come as a surprise, since at the moment, Naruto was the most talked about individual in the entire capital. While the opinions people held for the blonde varied, it couldn't be denied that he, and his actions, were on everyone's mind. Most of them probably couldn't believe the news, that the low-born military commander, Naruto Uzumaki, won the One-Year-War single-handed. Itachi felt a small amount of satisfaction as the room's occupants looked at his Commander with awe. It was about time Naruto got some of the respect that he earned through hard work and blood.

The music was beautiful, with violins playing breathtaking songs, and Itachi closed his eyes for a moment to soak it all in. While he was apprehensive to come here in the first place, it was a welcomed change of scenery from the battlefields that he usually called home. When looking over the room, he was able to notice the groups of people that were talking to one another.

There were the noble lords and ladies, dancing and talking with each other. Then, over towards the right of the room, Itachi recognized some of the lesser nobility. And finally, over at the back, was a group seated at a table that he was already very familiar with; the children of the noble lords and ladies. When his father would bring him to these sorts of events during his younger days, he could typically find himself seated alongside the other heirs.

When observing the left-side of the table, he saw Kiba Inuzuka, Ino Yamanaka and her husband, Shikamaru Nara, and finally, Choji Akimichi. Alongside them, on the right-side of the table was Hanabi Hyuga, and two people Itachi knew very well, Sasuke Uchiha, and his wife, Sakura Haruno.

Seeing his brother again after such a long time brought a smile to his face immediately. It must have been a big one, because Naruto was very quick to notice his shift in mood. "I see that there is an open seat at that table, Itachi," Naruto said before placing his hand on his most trusted comrade's shoulder. "Go socialize with your brother and his friends."

"Are you sure?" Itachi asked, a little apprehensive to leave his Commander in a room filled with people who'd sooner see him dead or imprisoned.

"Do I need to phrase it as an order?" Naruto asked with obvious fake seriousness.

Itachi smirked before finally giving in, "No, sir," he said before making his way toward his peers.

As Itachi walked away Naruto's smile lessened as bit, and he realized that he was now completely alone. He looked around the room for anyone who would desire to hold a conversation with him, but found himself unsuccessful. It was moments like these that made him miss Hinata more than ever, since she would have never been afraid to openly socialize with him during such events. If she were still alive, they'd both be dancing together with the other couples. But alas, this world was not a fairy tail, and long ago he learned that happy endings didn't exist.

Thankfully, someone walked over to him, and he was actually rather surprised to see who it was. Naruto didn't expect someone like Lord Danzo to attend such a fancy gathering, but then again, the man was well known for being an enigma. The older gentleman was wearing his usual black robes, and he was assisting his walk with a wooden cane. He soon made it to Naruto's side before inclining his head in greeting.

"I am pleased that you decided to come, Commander Uzumaki," Danzo said. "Seeing as the only reason I came was to speak directly with you."

"You honor me with your presence," Naruto said politely with a bow, but deep down, his mind was working a mile a minute. Lord Danzo was considered one of the most powerful men in the entire Kingdom, second only to King Hiruzen himself. He'd need to be cautious during this interaction.

"I was disappointed to hear the King decline my proposal," Danzo continued as he looked over the partying nobles with an unreadable gaze. "I think you would be a welcomed addition to the Royal Court, regardless of age. Brilliant military minds such as yours only come around once a millennium, and I think that your talents are being wasted away."

"I will do whatever the King commands of me," Naruto responded. "But I'd be lying to you if I said that I too wasn't disappointed with his decision."

Danzo nodded in understanding before humming lowly. It was evident to Naruto that the older lord wasn't too keen on such extravagant parties, as he seemed uncomfortable with all of the activities surrounding them. Danzo was a serious man, and Naruto was fairly sure that the man hadn't smiled or enjoyed himself since he was a child.

"The other lords are intimidated by you," Danzo revealed. "They fear your potential. However, I realize that you are a priceless asset to the Kingdom. King Hiruzen feels the same way, but he worries too much about your safety. He thinks that your life would be even more at risk if you were to join the Royal Court. But I think we both know that you are a survivor, right, Naruto Uzumaki?"

"All soldiers are, my Lord," Naruto said in agreement.

"Yes, indeed," Danzo said with a faraway look in his lone eye before continuing. "I have come to let you know that you have a friend in me, Commander Naruto. If you ever need anything, you know who to come to."

The man didn't wait for a response and began his slow walk towards the exit of the room. Naruto considered the man's offer, and decided that he'd be foolish not to accept. If this meant that he now had Danzo Shimura's backing, then tonight already proved to be a successful venture. However, upon realizing that most people weren't going to speak to him, he noticed that the doors to the balcony were opened, so he walked over to stand there, alone.

The view was beautiful as Naruto watched the moon shining in the dark evening sky. He often wondered about the mystery's of outer space, but he was no scientist. He remembered five years ago, when an astronomer was able to prove that the sun was at the center of the universe, and that the earth and all the other planets revolved around it. Naruto wasn't able to understand why people became so upset with the discovery, but he assumed it had something to do with them wanting to think that the universe revolved around them, and that they were the most extraordinary creatures in existence. A rather foolish assumption, if you asked him.

Suddenly, a presence slinked next to him, and he was stunned at who he saw. It was the first time he had ever seen her in a gown, but he had to admit that Lady Tsume was rather beautiful, even if she was very aggressive. She looked at him in her peripheral vision before leaning against the balcony railings and sighing in exaggerated exhaustion. She truly didn't conduct herself like a lady.

"You've got the right idea, brat," she said while staring up into space. "That place was getting stuffy as hell."

"Pardon my confusion, Lady Tsume, but I am surprised that you are speaking with me," Naruto said, confused at the peculiar turn of events.

The Inuzuka Matriarch switched her attention towards him, and Naruto noticed a look in her eyes that he could only describe as hunger. She shifted her self towards Naruto until they were practically touching. "You're not intimidated by me, are you, brat?" she asked with a cocky smirk.

"No, my lady," Naruto said with an expressionless face. He was a soldier, it would take a lot more than this to unnerve him.

"My husband was intimidated by me, and he ran away," Tsume said with a chuckle and Naruto raised his brow at the strange piece of information. "But you're not like him, are you? You're a real man."

She placed her hand and his chest before giving him a seductive smirk. Naruto looked around to make sure that nobody was watching them. If someone were to see the Lady of House Inuzuka attempting to seduce him, he'd likely be thrown in prison. He couldn't deny that she was beautiful, but he cared more about his future than he did an attractive woman. He'd already learned his lesson with Hinata.

"Nobody is watching us, pretty boy," she said, as if she read his mind. "Before today, I hated your guts. And while I still think that you are an egotistical sociopath that only cares about gaining power, I can't help but be attracted to you. You're a powerful warrior and an unmatched military commander. But the deal was sealed when I confronted you after the meeting, and you were able to look me directly in the eyes without a hint of fear, I knew you had to be mine, at least for a night.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders before positioning her head in the crook of his neck. He almost, almost, felt the need to blush as he felt her body pressed against him as she began kissing and sucking on his neck. After tonight, he could no longer deny the fact that women were definitely the most unpredictable creatures in existence.

 **~Break~**

After being given permission by Naruto to do so, Itachi began shifting through the crowd of party guests before making his way towards his brother's table. In truth, he was a bit nervous, since he hadn't spoken with Sasuke in almost three years. That was around the time that he swore his sword to Naruto, and ever since, he was out of the Capital, fighting alongside his Commander in one battle after another.

Finally, he made it to his destination and was happy to see the surprised look on his little brother's face. Both Itachi and Sasuke tended to maintain a stoic and unreadable expression at all times, so it was fun to see his brother's shock. The other occupants of the table were surprised as well, but Sakura was the first to stand and greet him.

"It is good to see you, brother," she said, since they were now siblings by marriage. Seeing her also reminded him that he was not around for Sakura and Sasuke's wedding, which made him feel like a terrible brother.

"The pleasure is mine," Itachi responded in his normal calm voice. "Would you mind if I sat with you all?"

Everyone at the table nodded, except for Sasuke who still seemed to be frozen in shock. Itachi sat directly across from his brother, in a chair between Kiba and Ino. He was happy to see that Sasuke was still maintaining his childhood friendships. Finally, his little brother was able to shake himself from his surprised state and managed to speak.

"Brother," he greeted after recomposing himself. "It has been a while."

"Indeed," Itachi acknowledged. "I was fighting in the war. But even so, I regret missing your wedding, and the birth of your child."

One year ago, around the same time, Naruto's son was born, Sakura gave birth to Sasuke's first child, a girl they named Sarada. It was another major event that Itachi had been absent from, and was probably the thing he regretted the most. In fact, he had yet to even see his niece since she was welcomed into the world. He was her uncle, and he felt like it was his responsibility to be a part of her life.

"It is alright," Sakura said before Sasuke was able to speak. "You were only fulfilling your responsibilities. Besides, now Sarada will get to grow up hearing stories about how much of a war hero her uncle Itachi is."

Itachi appreciated his sister-in-law's attempt to make him feel a little less bad about his absence, and admittedly, she succeeded a bit. As he looked at the other people at the table, it was obvious that Ino was waiting for her turn to speak, as she was practically bouncing in her seat. This was how he remembered the blonde Yamanaka, as a well-natured attention seeker.

"Speaking of war heroes," Ino said, getting everyone's attention. "How about you tell us what Naruto Uzumaki is like in person. All I've heard up until now are rumors, and I'd prefer to learn about him from someone that actually knows him."

"Well," Itachi said before pausing in thought. "He is absolutely brilliant when it comes to battle strategy. I've never seen him even come close to ever losing a battle before in the years I've spent with him. He also has big dreams, but at the same time, he can still be down to earth when necessary. And most important of all, if you place your trust in him, he will never fail you."

The answer seemed to satisfy Ino's curiosity as she nodded her head in intrigue. Shikamaru appeared to be a bit miffed that his wife had taken such an interest in the exploits of another man, but he knew that it was just her personality and that she would never be unfaithful.

"Was kidnapping and raping my sister apart of his 'big dreams'?" Hanabi asked with a bit of venom in her voice. Itachi almost sighed, as it was obvious that Hiashi had been whispering lies into his youngest daughter's ears.

He knew that the conversation topic of Naruto and Hinata would have been inevitable, considering how drastically things escalated when the two teens ran away together all those years ago. After the news of their getaway became public, everyone from the lowest of peasants to the highest or lords was talking about it. While the truth was that Naruto and Hinata fled to be married, Hiashi led a smear campaign against the blonde Uzumaki, claiming that he kidnapped Hinata from her room and then absconded with her against her will. Overall, it couldn't be further from the truth.

"That's not true, Naruto and Hinata were in love!" Sakura defended. "I've never met Commander Naruto, but Hinata often spoke to me about her feelings for him."

Hanabi looked as if she was going to say something else, but a glare from Sasuke made her think twice about it. With a shake of the head, the Hyuga girl stood up from her seat before leaving without another word. In a way, Itachi felt bad for her, since Hiashi probably wasn't the best father in the world. However, he never appreciated when people accused Naruto of being a murdering rapist, as the insult was completely unfair and void of any factual evidence. Itachi had been there when Naruto and Hinata ran away together, so he was completely confident that the accusations were entirely false, and were more along the lines of slander.

"I should have never brought him up with her at the table, I'm so stupid," Ino berated herself. However, she was immediately comforted by Shikamaru.

"Deep down, she knows that the rumors aren't true," the Nara heir commented. "It is just difficult for her to accept that Hinata willingly left to marry a low-born man."

Eventually, the other's at the table realized that Itachi and Sasuke could use some alone time to talk, so they left to dance. Now that the two Uchiha's were alone, the table was engulfed in silence. It was very awkward, since he and his little brother were both introverted, meaning they weren't huge fans of conversation.

"I thought that you were going to die," Sasuke suddenly said in his normal bored tone of voice.

Itachi sat up straight after hearing the revelation and Sasuke continued, "When you swore your sword to Uzumaki, I was a little upset about it. However, I soon realized that it was what you wanted to do, so I wished you the best. However, when your 'commander' ran away with the Hyuga heir, I legitimately feared for your life, Itachi," Sasuke said, and with each word, more and more emotion poured into his voice. "People were talking about it like it was going to be the cause of the next Great War, and they were all picking sides. As you'd expect, almost everyone chose to side with House Hyuga. How do you think I would have felt if father forced me to side with your enemies and fight against you? Did you ever think about how that would make me feel?"

It was an unexpected barrage of raw emotion, and for once, Itachi found himself with wide eyes. He had never seen his little brother act this way before, and it made him feel terrible knowing that he was the cause of it. "I am sorry, Sasuke," he said in the most genuine way possible. "I failed to factor your feelings into my decision, which isn't fair to you. However, I swore an oath, and until the day that I die, I will fight alongside Naruto. In fact, even if I weren't sworn to his side, I'd continue to fight for him, as he has become a very precious friend of mine. I hope that you can understand my reason's, little brother. Please know that I still care for you deeply."

Sasuke stayed silent for a few moments before finally sighing, "I know you do," he said before smirking in a typical Uchiha fashion. "But before you leave, you have to meet Sarada. If you're anything like me, you'll love her at first sight."

Itachi smiled at the proposition. He'd love that very much.

 **~Break~**

It was an incredibly long story, but at the moment, he found himself in Tsume Inuzuka's chambers. As soon as they entered the room, she pushed him onto the bed before straddling his waist. She inched her face towards him before capturing his lips in a rough kiss. Naruto couldn't deny that his body was screaming at him to ravage the Inuzuka Matriarch, but deep down in his soul, he had never stopped loving Hinata. Even though she had been dead for over two years now, this still felt as though he was betraying her.

He and Tsume were still very much clothed, but he imagined if the aggressive woman had her way, that would soon change. She didn't seem to care that he wasn't reciprocating the kiss, as her tongue continued to explore his mouth. Her hands were sliding over his body, and feeling his muscles, which she evidently liked since her kissing soon became even more intense.

Finally, Naruto had enough, and he grabbed her shoulders before forcefully pushing her off, "This won't continue any further," he said while fixing his clothing.

Tsume didn't seem upset at all as plopped herself on the bed and continued to smirk in his direction, "Aww," she said. "You're such a cute little prude."

Naruto ignored her attempt at teasing before walking towards the door. However, he was stopped as a dainty hand grabbed his forearm in a vice grip. He calmly turned back towards Tsume and noticed that the predatory smile never left her face. She was a woman that typically got what she wanted and wasn't at all affected by rejection. It seemed that much like the dog sigil on her House's banner, Tsume was rather animalistic when it came to capturing her desires.

"Fine," she said. "We don't have to sleep together, but lets at least get to know each other a little bit before you leave."

"I doubt you're interested in getting to know me," Naruto countered. "Your desires are clear."

The room was soon filled with the sound of Tsume's laughter, and Naruto's face was soon marred with a small frown. She mockingly wiped a small tear from her eye before grinning at him, "You're a smart boy," she stated. "And prideful too. However, that only makes me want you even more."

Naruto was very close to losing his cool; however, he eventually managed to compose himself. He prided himself on his inability to get unnerved or irritated, and at the moment, Tsume was very close to catching his ire. However, he was fairly sure that getting him angry was her objective. It was clear that she lusted for him, and she wasn't making any effort to hide it.

Shockingly, her gown suddenly fell to the floor, and she was left as naked as the day she was born. At this point, resisting her was getting extremely difficult, as his male brain was wired to be attracted to a beautiful naked woman. She sauntered towards him seductively before wrapping her arms around his neck and looking him directly in the eyes.

Naruto soon found himself pushed into the bedroom wall as Tsume pressed herself as close to him as possible. Her right leg was straddling his hip, and he could feel her hot breath on her neck. The fact that she ignored all of his polite requests for her to stop was the straw that broke the camel's back, and he gripped her shoulders tightly before spinning around and slamming her against the wall.

Soon after, his fist slammed into the wall with enough force to shake the room. However, Tsume wasn't intimidated at all. In fact, her eyes became half-lidded, and her breathing became even faster, "So you're a rough one?" she asked. "That's good, I don't have time for little boys who can't take control."

"Are you deriving pleasure from this?" Naruto asked rhetorically, not expecting an answer. "Does attempting to force yourself on me please you?"

"Why don't you let me show you what pleases me?" Tsume retorted with a hungry smile. "I have no doubt that it will please you as well."

Naruto finally realized that he wouldn't be able to convince Tsume to relent, so he once again walked towards the door for what felt like the fifth time during this interaction. Surprisingly, the Inuzuka made no attempt at grabbing him, and for a moment, he thought she finally gave up. However, when she spoke, he froze.

"You want to be King one day, right?" she asked as his hand was hovering over the door knob.

After processing her words, Naruto slowly turned around and gave her a chillingly cold gaze. Disturbingly, her smile only seemed to get more lecherous. He approached her with slow and purposeful stepped until he was standing almost an inch away from her. He was practically towering over her as she almost had to look up to hold his gaze.

"What are you getting at?" he asked in a menacing voice.

"As I'm sure you know, a King needs friends," she clarified with a grin. "Powerful friends. And in politics, friendships are formed through favors. I just so happen to be the Head of one of the most powerful Houses in the Kingdom. If you spend this one evening with me, in my bed, I will be your friend forever."

So many things were pounding about through his mind, and Naruto could not find even an instant of clarity. He was in a moral bind at the moment. On one hand, by sleeping with this beautiful woman, he'd have the backing of House Inuzuka in the event that he made a claim to the throne. However, on the other hand, if he agreed, he'd essentially be selling his body for political support. His pride was telling him to say no, but his ambition stated that this was the only way.

Tsume placed her hands on his chest once more, and slowly began to unbutton his tunic. Occasionally, she would look up at him, as if to see if he wanted her to continue. She pulled his coat from his body and tossed it across the room, and soon after, she finished unbuttoning his tunic before tossing it aside as well. Immediately upon doing so, she began peppering his chest with small kisses before giving him a lascivious smile.

"You made the right choice, _your Grace_ ," she said. "You may not be King just yet, but when the day comes that you lay a claim to the throne, myself, and House Inuzuka will support you fervently. Who knows, if you impress me enough tonight I may vow that my House serves you and your children, and their children's children and so on," as she was talking, one of her hands began to caress his abdomen. "Think of it as a little incentive to try your best tonight."

She pulled him onto the bed and straddled his waist once more. Similarly to how she did earlier, she began to almost savagely kiss him as her hands explored his body. Naruto closed his eyes, and he felt ashamed at what he was doing. A part of him was screaming that he throw her off and march out of the room. However, for him, becoming King was more important than anything, even his pride.

With that in mind, the choice was easy. However, for the duration of the evening, he couldn't get Hinata's face out of his mind, and it only served to make him even more miserable.

 **~Break~**

"It has been quite a while since I was last here," Itachi commented as he, Sasuke, and Sakura entered the Uchiha Manor. It was a beautiful piece of architecture, and also the place where he grew up.

Before leaving the royal ball, he looked high and low for Naruto, but couldn't find him anywhere. Best case scenario, his Commander merely went home early. Worst case scenario, well, he didn't even want to think about that. If Naruto didn't turn up in the morning, he would lead an extensive and thorough search party, but at the moment, he was committed to meeting his niece.

Thankfully, his father was still at the party so he wouldn't have to deal with him during his visit. The servants bowed to them as they made their way through the halls of the manor and eventually, they made it to a room at the end of the hall, directly across from Sasuke and Sakura's bedroom.

Itachi couldn't help but get excited at the prospect of meeting the newest edition to his family, but he did an excellent job of retaining his composure. Finally, the door was opened, and he could make the slight outline of the expensive looking crib in the darkness of the room. Sakura was quick to light a candle and Sasuke proudly escorted Itachi towards the source of his pride.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Sakura asked from behind the two Uchiha brothers.

Itachi could only nod in response as he was too fixated on the small baby girl. The infant was clearly Sasuke and Sakura's child, since she shared quite a bit of their features. When looking at Sarada, Itachi couldn't help but be reminded of the day he first saw Sasuke as a baby. In fact, when looking at Sarada, it was almost as if he was looking at his baby brother.

"She looks like both of you," Itachi commented as he was finally able to formulate words.

Sakura chuckled at his simple observation, "Yes, yes she does," she responded.

Itachi straightened back up before shifting his attention to his little brother, who didn't seem so little anymore. They both had stoic expressions, but to anyone that knew them, it was clear that they didn't need to express their thoughts or feelings to know that the other was thinking. It was a part of a sibling bond that only children wouldn't be able to understand.

"I'm proud of you, little brother," Itachi complimented. "There is little doubt in my mind that you are now a grown man. I know that you will raise Sarada with the love and care that she deserves."

"Of course I will," Sasuke responded. "If I don't, Sakura will take my head off."

Said pink-haired girl crossed her arms and looked away from the two Uchiha brothers with an embarrassed blush on her face. It made sense that Sasuke would fall in love with a powerful woman capable of giving him the business. His little brother never had time for weakness of any kind, and he wouldn't be able to tolerate a 'nice' submissive wife.

"I see you have found yourself an excellent partner in your life, little brother," he complimented. "Someone needs to keep you in line, as you can be quite a delinquent at times."

"Funny," Sasuke muttered sarcastically. He then glared at his wife as she chuckled at his brother's joke. "Don't even start, Sakura."

Suddenly, a shrill whining sound engulfed the room and then it was Sakura's turn to be mad, "Sasuke, you dolt," she whispered harshly. "You woke Sarada."

Sasuke nodded towards Itachi, and they both left the room while Sakura comforted the confused child. It only took a few moments for them to go outside and reach the walking path in the court yard, after which they began to reminisce about the past. Before Itachi left, they both used to walk along this path and talk with one another on a regular basis. At this moment, it felt like nothing had changed.

"I assume you'll be leaving whenever Uzumaki decides to take part in another battle?" Sasuke suddenly asked after several minutes of pleasant conversation.

"I'll go wherever he goes. So if he decides to go fight again, then I suppose the answer to your question is yes."

"What is your deal with him, Itachi?" Sasuke asked. "You're an excellent military commander, and you would have probably led both our House and our army into battle one day. But you traded it all away to be the right-hand of some low-born kid no older than me? It just doesn't make any sense."

"One day, Sasuke, you will come across a person, or a cause, that completely draws you in," Itachi clarified as they passed a small statue of their ancestor, Madara Uchiha. "When that day comes, you'll know exactly why I decided to serve Naruto."

"What's so special about him?" Sasuke demanded. "Is it because he's a genius or something? Please explain this to me."

"I decided to serve at his side, because he has an ambitious goal that I admire, and also the ability to make his dream a reality," Itachi explained. "However, I help him because I know that for him to achieve his hefty goal, he needs me. He is a flawed person, and for all his good traits he has an equal number of bad. For one, while he'd brilliant in battle, he can also be a bit impulsive. Another example, is that he can be quite narcissistic at times. However, his soldiers follow all of his orders without question, so essentially, he is surrounded by yes men. He needs someone like me to tell him when he is making a mistake or when he is in the wrong. So in short, I serve him, because as great as he is, he is not perfect. He's a human being just like everyone else, and if he didn't have me, he'd have no one."

Silence was all that followed, and Itachi was confident that he got his point across.

 **~Break~**

Itachi had spent the entire morning searching for Naruto with no luck. He was about to round up a couple of Naruto's men to form a search party, but he was soon flagged down by a group of Inuzuka guards. Initially, he was prepared for a fight, but then they were actually rather cordial with him. To his immense shock, they told him that Naruto was at the Inuzuka Manor and that they would escort him at once.

During the walk over, Itachi's mind was flooded with confusion. Why on Earth would Naruto be at the Inuzuka Manor? Did he visit there early in the morning to patch things up with Lady Tsume? Or was this a trap set by the Inuzuka men to bring Itachi to an undisclosed location before killing him?

With that being said, he was extremely shocked when he was escorted directly to Lady Tsume's chambers and was told that Naruto was inside. This could only imply one thing. He was about to knock on the door when it opened and out came his Commander. Naruto looked shocked to see him, and over the blonde's shoulder, he saw Tsume laying under the sheets, waving goodbye to the blonde with a seductive smirk. It appeared that she was completely nude under the blankets.

Naruto quickly walked by him, and they exited the manor before Itachi would even utter a single question about what was going one. Strangely enough, Naruto directed them into an alleyway before turning towards his Uchiha comrade with a stern expression.

"This is your one and only opportunity to ask me any questions about what you just saw, after we leave this alley, we are to never speak of it again, do you understand?" he asked.

"Yes, I understand," Itachi answered before deciding to get right to the point. "You slept with Lady Inuzuka, didn't you?"

"Yes," Naruto answered simply, however, it was clear that he was uncomfortable.

"For what reason?" Itachi asked. "Just yesterday she was expressing her disdain for you openly in front of everyone, and the very same evening you two shared the same bed?"

Naruto didn't respond immediately, and it was clear that he was drumming up the courage to tell his friend the truth, "I slept with Lady Inuzuka in exchange for her and her House's loyalty when I become King."

The was no sound for quite some time, other than the clamoring of people going about their days through the streets. Itachi was processing what his leader just said, and he couldn't quite believe it. Had Naruto simply slept with Lady Tsume because he was attracted to her, that was one thing, and he could understand that since she was a beautiful woman. But for him to sell his body for an evening, to a noble woman in exchange for her political support?

"Who are you?" he asked in a voice that belied his shock and confusion. "The Naruto I know would never lower himself to such a degree."

"Then perhaps you don't know me as well as you thought!" Naruto snapped in an extremely rare bought of anger.

Itachi narrowed his eyes, and he felt himself beginning to become enraged as well, "What kind of a King conducts himself in such a shameful way?"

His insult was rewarded with Naruto gripping the front of his tunic tightly and then slamming him into the alley wall. Naruto's blue eyes held a cold fury, and for a moment, Itachi wondered if the blonde would kill him. This was the angriest he had ever seen his Commander, as even in battle Naruto never lost his cool. He was about to insult him once again, but when he saw that Naruto's hands were trembling in sadness, he couldn't bring himself to continue.

Naruto's grip on Itachi's shirt loosened and he took a step back before muttering an almost entirely silent apology. It was clear that the blonde Uzumaki was ashamed of himself, which made Itachi feel extremely bad for his disgustingly rude words.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry," Itachi said before placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "I was out of line with my comment, and I didn't really mean it."

Naruto scoffed at the apology, "What's the point in pretending that you aren't right about me?" he asked in a dejected tone. "If my parents were alive to discover what I had just done, they'd be ashamed of me too, just like you are."

"They wouldn't be ashamed, and I'm not either," Itachi comforted. "Everyone makes mistakes every once in a while, and you're no exception. Despite what you sometimes think, you are a human being, just like everyone else."

Without responding Naruto walked out of the alleyway and back into the street, and Itachi followed soon after. They continued to walk without a word, and Itachi was searching for a way to alleviate the tension. Eventually, he decided that humor would be the best bet.

"At least Lady Tsume is a beautiful woman. Better her than some ugly noblewoman, no?" he asked out of the blue.

For a few moments, Itachi thought that his plan had failed. But then, a small smile appeared on his Commander's face, and they continued walking with no particular destination in mind. Today had gotten off to a bad start, but things would always get worse before they got better. Naruto definitely made a mistake last night, but hopefully, it would serve as a lesson that would result in him being bettered as a person.

Things were going to be okay.

 **~End~**

 **Thank you all for reading Chapter Two of** _ **The Cost of Ambition**_ **. The majority of the characters in this story will be morally ambiguous, so don't expect there to be any clear cut good guys or bad guys. All characters will have their strengths as well as their flaws, just like people in the real world.**

 **Naruto's choice of clothing and armor are very similar to the character Griffith from Berserk. If you want to see what his formal clothing looks like, Google Berserk Griffith's Winter Attire and if you want to see what his armor looks like, Google Griffith Hawk of Light Armor. For both of these pictures make sure you are using Google Images, otherwise, you may not be referencing the image I am talking about. I know a lot of you may hate Griffith, and for good reason, but you can't deny that his armor looks amazing.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed, and thank you again.**


	3. Chapter Three

**The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable (Sun Tzu).**

 **(Read the Authors Note at the end of this chapter if you want to see what some of the character's weapons, armor, and clothing look like)**

 **The Cost of Ambition: Chapter Three**

Three weeks had passed since Naruto, and his army returned to the Capital. Since then, volunteers have been flooding over to their garrison, requesting to enlist with Naruto's forces. After Itachi counted the number of new recruits, he was shocked to see that there were nearly one thousand. This meant that as of today, Naruto's army now stood at ten thousand men. The blonde Uzumaki was able to win battle after battle with his smaller army, so now that he actually had a relatively large fighting force, Itachi didn't even want to think about what he would now be capable of.

While Naruto spent his days meeting with the lesser lords, Itachi was at the garrison supervising the training of the new recruits. Most of them had fighting experience already, so it was rather easy to get them into the loop. However, if you fought alongside Naruto, you needed to be more than just an average fighter. You needed to be intelligent, experienced, and most of all, utterly fearless.

Out of all the new recruits, the one who impressed Itachi the most was a young man named Sai. He was about the same age as Naruto, and his fighting technique was excellent, and his mind for battle was equally keen. However, Itachi was a bit unnerved by the pale teen's disturbingly fake smile. It wasn't like Naruto's fake smile, which was used to cover up an internal pain. No, Sai's smile made it seem as though he was just trying to mimic human emotions and behavior.

It was for this reason that Itachi was a bit apprehensive when deciding whether or not to accept Sai. There was something unnerving about his emotionless expression and inability to understand even the most basic forms of human interaction. So, Itachi decided to let the pale skinned teen join for now, but he'd be sure to inform Naruto of his suspicions when they saw each other again.

Over the past few weeks, Naruto was immersing himself in politics. By meeting with some of the lords and ladies of the Capital, he was creating political alliances. However, Itachi was pleased to say that his method of doing so was not at all the same as when he gained the loyalty of Lady Tsume. Speaking of the Inuzuka Matriarch, she kept to her word, as during one of the more recent council meetings, she recommended that Naruto be given a position in the Royal Court. With the backing of Lady Tsume and Lord Danzo, King Hiruzen finally agreed, and Naruto was made a Duke, officially making him a High-Lord. It was quite an honor since Dukes were the closest and highest ranking peers of the king.

The Council was shocked, as they had expected the King to make Naruto a Viscount, not a Duke. Viscounts were essentially glorified sheriffs; however, the position was still an important one, but the power of a Viscount was nothing compared to that of a Duke. The title of Duke was typically only given to a relative of the King, or someone who had achieved great feats in the name of the Kingdom. This increased Naruto's power exponentially, which Itachi was extremely proud of. All High-Lords were given lands to rule over, and Naruto was no exception. Hiruzen honored him with the possession of an island off the coast of the Land of Fire, an Island that was referred to as the Land of Whirlpools. This island was significant to Naruto, since it was where his mother hailed from. As of today, House Uzumaki came into existence, and Naruto was now the Duke of Whirlpool. Despite himself, Itachi couldn't help but admit that Naruto's little fling with Lady Tsume had actually paid off, since her support was what made all of this possible.

When thinking about Naruto's new position, Itachi couldn't help but mull over the power structure of the Kingdom of Fire. At the top was the King, who ruled with absolute authority. Below him, were the High-Lords, who were each given a portion of land in the Kingdom to govern. The Uchiha's governed over the southern part of the Kingdom, and the Nara, Akimichi, and the Yamanaka controlled lands in the east. The Hyuga were in control of the north, and the Inuzuka and Aburame were given lands in the west. Now Naruto controlled the Island of Whirlpool, which was one of the capitals of commerce and trade in the known world, which would soon make Naruto incredibly wealthy.

Next, there were the lesser-lords. A lesser-lord was someone who ruled over a house that was within a land controlled by a High-Lord. They swore fealty to their respective High-Lord, and fought alongside them during times of war. Currently, the Land of Whirlpool had not lesser-lords, as it was governed by four influential merchants, so Itachi hoped that they wouldn't resist Naruto's rule. If that happened, the blonde Uzumaki's army would just have to seize control through military force, simple as that.

It was still morning, which marked the beginning of a very auspicious day. Today, in the throne room, Naruto would officially be given all of his new titles. Technically, he was already a Duke, but the ceremony was still necessary. Anyone who was worth a damn would be present for the ceremonial procedure, seeing as people weren't made Dukes every day. The last people to be given such a title were Lord Fugaku Uchiha and Lord Hiashi Hyuga. It happened years before Itachi was born, which showed just how rare the honor of being made a Duke really was.

He eventually departed from the garrison, now with three guards escorting him. When Naruto gained his new title, the blonde decided that he and Itachi should no longer travel without loyal men to protect them. When deciding to pick his guards, the first two he chose were Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, two soldiers who had been with Naruto from the beginning and were unflinchingly loyal to their blonde commander. The third member of his guards may come as a bit of a surprise, seeing as it was the new recruit, Sai. Itachi's distrust of Sai was still very much in existence, which was exactly why he wished to keep the pale teen close at all times.

Izumo and Kotetsu were guarding his back, while Sai was clearing the way through the crowd of commoners and protecting his front. Unlike the majority of Naruto's army, Sai wasn't wearing steel, or even iron armor. In place of metal plating, the new recruit seemed to favor light, yet durable, black leather armor. Leather armor had far less defensive capabilities, yet, it allowed for more maneuverability.

Speaking of clothing, Itachi was clothed in his casual wear, which consisted of a dark-blue silk tunic. It was essentially the same thing he wore to the royal ball, just in a different color. Seeing as he was on his way to see his commander officially be made a Duke, he figured formal wear would be for the best. Naruto probably would have been rather cross with him if he showed up wearing battle-worn steel armor.

The crowds of people in the streets were going in the same direction as Itachi and his guards, and it was clear that they wished to stand outside of the Keep, which was the closest commoners were allowed to be to the ceremony. Naruto was very well loved by the common people, since he was an influential figure that also didn't treat them like dirt. After profiting off of a battle, the blonde Uzumaki often gifted his earnings to the people, in a successful attempt to curry favor. It made sense that so many of the common people would desire to be near their favorite Uzumaki during his special day.

After making the tedious climb up the steps to the Royal Keep, Itachi entered the throne room. There were a great many nobles lining the walls of the chamber. The first thing Itachi saw was the King Regent sitting atop his throne. He was momentarily surprised when he realized this was the first time he had ever seen someone sitting on the most coveted chair in the world. After clearing the thought from his mind, Itachi was able to see his mother and father, standing next to both Sakura and Sasuke. His first instinct was to stand alongside them during the ceremony, but before he could begin the walk over, three people he immediately recognized stopped him. They were Naruto's personal guards, Genma Shiranui, Aoba Yamashiro, and Yamato.

"Lord Itachi," Yamato greeted. "I'm glad that I found you, Lord Naruto wished for me to relay a message to you."

Itachi was a bit confused, "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, of course not," Genma butted in, much to Yamato's irritation. "He told us that he wants you to accompany him when he kneels before the King during the ceremony."

To say that Itachi was shocked would be considered an understatement. During ceremonies such as these, it was standard practice for the recipient to approach the King alone. If Naruto were to do this, it would likely stir up quite a bit of discord. However, that wasn't a surprise, since while Naruto had yet to become the King of Fire Country, he was already the king of controversy.

"This is unheard of," Itachi stated, vocally expressing his astonishment.

Yamato scoffed, "You're telling me," he said. "I advised against it, but Lord Naruto was adamant. He stated that you were his right-hand, and that without you, he wouldn't have come this far. He believes that you deserve to experience this moment with him."

Itachi was honored beyond words. He always knew that Naruto valued his friendship, but not even in his wildest dreams did he think that his Commander respected him this much. In fact, Itachi may go as far as to say that this was arguably the kindest thing anyone had ever done for him. His thoughts were interrupted when the large doors to the throne room were slowly opened, and Naruto appeared.

He was wearing the same set of clothing he wore to the royal ball, with the same sky-blue silk tunic, and the dark-blue golden buttoned justacorps coat. Once his presence was noticed, everyone stopped talking, and the room was engulfed in absolute silence. Naruto soon began to take slow steps towards the throne, and everyone was watching with bated breath. Not everyone liked the blonde Uzumaki, but they'd be in denial if they didn't acknowledge the fact that they were viewing a pivotal moment in history that would likely be talked about hundreds of years after they were all dead.

The room was shocked when Naruto stopped walking halfway from the throne before his eyes began combing over the spectators. The King raised an eyebrow at the unexpected and strange turn of events, and the crowd was starting to murmur in confusion. While almost everyone in the room was racking their brains in an attempt to understand what was going on, Itachi knew exactly what his Commander was doing. His suspicions were proven correct when Naruto finally managed to find him in the group of onlookers before nodding to him. It was clear that he was waiting for Itachi to come to his side before he continued on his path.

Initially, Itachi thought about refusing, but then he realized that the longer he waited, the more time Naruto would spend just standing there, and eventually, it would get the blonde into trouble. So with an admittedly nervous intake of breath, Itachi exited the crowd before walking towards the focus of everyone's attention. The King's Royal Guard were about to apprehend him, but thankfully, Hiruzen ordered them to stand down.

When Itachi was finally standing at Naruto's side, he received a reassuring smile from his Commander, and all of his nervousness vanished. Naruto was always extremely talented when it came to instilling bravery in his soldiers, and Itachi was incredibly thankful for it at the moment.

Naruto continued walking forward, and Itachi followed him. He walked next to Naruto's right side, which was rather symbolic since Naruto considered him to be his right-hand. As they both approached the throne, Itachi looked over towards his family and saw that excluding his father, they all looked rather nervous. It was evident that they feared Itachi would be punished for 'trespassing' on the ceremony. When observing his father, he noted that the man's expression was almost entirely unreadable. However, he was shocked when he noticed a barely visible look of pride on the man's face. His father was proud of him.

Finally, the two young men stood before the King, who was still seated on his throne and waited for the elderly man to speak. Everyone in the room was practically leaning forward in anticipation and excitement. Itachi took this moment to take a more in depth look at the crowd and noted the people in attendance. The first person he saw was Lady Tsume, who was looking at Naruto with a lustful smirk. Alongside her, were the other High-Lords, only Lord Hiashi was absent. It seemed that the Lord of House Hyuga made the bold decision to refuse to attend, which wasn't at all surprising considering his history with Naruto.

"What is the meaning of this?" the King asked, however, there was no anger in his voice, only curiosity.

"I apologize if this is against tradition, your Grace," Naruto said loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear. "However, Lord Itachi is not only my most trusted soldier, but also my greatest friend. He risks his life fighting alongside me in every battle that I take part in. He has stayed loyal to me through thick and thin, so I feel as though he deserves to stand at my side during such a momentous occasion."

Hiruzen didn't initially respond, and for a moment, Itachi thought he was going to throw him out. However, a warm smile soon spread across the old man's face, and he knew that he was no longer in any danger. The King then stated how he admired the respect that Naruto had for his soldiers, and said that he approved of Itachi's presence here. Eventually, the ceremony continued, and Hiruzen finally stood.

He walked towards Naruto, and the blonde Uzumaki kneeled. One of the Royal Guard dutifully brought an ornamental sword to their King, and the elderly Sarutobi unsheathed it. "Commander Naruto Uzumaki," Hiruzen began in a proud voice. "Do you vow to continue serving this Kingdom loyally until your dying day?"

"I do," Naruto answered.

"Will you vow to never sleep with a woman unless you and she are married?" the King asked.

Naruto hesitated for a split second before saying, "I do."

It was easy for Itachi to see why it made Naruto uncomfortable, seeing as he had recently engaged in sexual activities with Lady Tsume, without them being married. Ever since that night, Naruto had been internalizing his shame. To most, sleeping with a beautiful woman like Lady Tsume wouldn't seem bad at all. However, Naruto slept with the Inuzuka Matriarch even though he wasn't attracted to her, simply because she paid him for the sex with a political alliance. To someone prideful like Naruto, it was hard to stomach the fact that what he did was essentially prostitution.

There was also that fact that Naruto was conceived out of wedlock. So essentially, he was vowing never to do what his mother and father did. It identified his conception as something dishonorable, and made him almost feel ashamed of his origins. His parents had loved each other, but his father was betrothed to Hikari Hyuga, the sister of Hiashi, and his mother was a lowly mercenary. However, when they met it was love at first sight, and Naruto was a result of that love.

"Do you vow never to lay a hand on a child?" Hiruzen continued.

"I do," Naruto responded resolutely.

"Will you vow to defend the innocent and the weak?"

"I do," Naruto answered for the third time.

To those who were unfamiliar with the ceremony, it may have seemed rather repetitive. However, it had been the practiced method of promoting people to higher positions of nobility for centuries. The King would list off a multitude of oaths or vows that the recipient must agree to adhere to.

"Do you vow to honor any request of battle, and never to shy away from one-on-one combat?" Hiruzen asked with a knowing smile. Naruto would never turn down a fight.

"I do," Naruto responded calmly.

King Hiruzen continued after the answer, "Will you vow to be forever loyal to your friends, family, and comrades?"

"I do, your Grace," Naruto said with a slight nod of the head.

"Then in the name of House Senju, the founders of this great Kingdom, I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, King Regent of the Kingdom of Fire, hereby anoint you, as a Duke," the King Regent said in what was admittedly a mouthful. "I offer the Lands of Whirlpool for you to govern, and finally, I announce, with pleasure, the official birth of House Uzumaki."

Hiruzen then proceeded to tap the flat side of his ornamental blade on both of Naruto's shoulders, thus completing the ceremony, "Now, rise," he said. "Naruto, Lord of House Uzumaki, and Duke of Whirlpool."

Naruto stood as commanded, and the throne room was engulfed in thunderous applause. The now Duke of Whirlpool turned to Itachi and gave what could only be described as a small, yet excited, smile. Then, shockingly, Naruto grabbed his best friend and embraced him, in front of everyone. The hug was completely platonic, meaning that it wasn't sparked by romantic feelings. However, Itachi wouldn't be surprised if rumors would start to spread about he and Naruto being in a homosexual relationship, as ridiculous as that may sound.

"Never forget this day, Itachi," Naruto said after pulling back from the hug and placing his hands on his friend's shoulders. "For it is the beginning of a new era, an era that will be forged by you and me."

Indeed it was.

 **~Break~**

(Fifteen Minutes Earlier)

Temari and her family were waiting in the throne room in the Royal Keep of the Kingdom of Fire, along with hundreds of other people. Apparently, any minute now Naruto Uzumaki would walk through those large doors to be anointed as a Duke. Initially, when her father told her that they had to make the long journey all the way from Wind Country, to attend some ceremony she had never heard about, she was upset. However, when she found out that the event was centered around 'the' Naruto Uzumaki, the man who won the Battle of Storm Valley, and pushed back the Kingdom of Lightning single-handed, she couldn't get there soon enough.

Temari wasn't some superficial women who fancied men for their titles or achievements, she did, however, respect those with military prowess. You see, back home in the deserts of Wind Country, she was the only female military commander, with a respectable number of victories. Her achievements were nothing compared to 'Naruto the Undefeated' but they were definitely a source of pride for her.

Alongside her was her father, Rasa the Lord of Wind Country, and both of her brothers, Gaara and Kankuro. This was the first time she or any of her siblings left their homeland, as her father was very protective of them. However, since Rasa served King Hiruzen, it was customary for him and his children to be present during such a sacred event.

One may be curious as to why the Lord of Wind Country served the King of the Kingdom of Fire, and she honestly wouldn't blame them, since it confused her when she first learned about it. Apparently, during the reign of Hashirama the Conqueror, the people of Wind Country were experiencing a catastrophic drought. They had always had trouble with such things in the past, and it was what led to them being the weakest of the Five Great Nations. However, during their time of crisis, King Hashirama led a caravan of food and water to their capital, and in doing so, saved an upwards of millions of lives. The Lord of Wind Country at the time, who was Temari's great-grandfather, pledged his allegiance to the Kingdom of Fire in exchange for regular shipments of food and grain.

Her father still honored the allegiance, and quite frankly, the protection of the Kingdom of Fire was the only thing that prevented the Land of Earth from invading their desert lands. The Land of Wind needed the Kingdom of Fire to stay alive, and in exchange, they offered military support whenever necessary. In fact, Temari was a bit disappointed that King Hiruzen didn't request their help in the One Year War, seeing as she was itching for a fight at the time. However, she doubted her father would have let her participate in the war anyway, since he almost never let her leave the castle, which he did to preserve her safety and more importantly, her virginity. Temari's father had successfully prevented her from having any sex or romantic relationships or encounters with anyone for the entire twenty-two years of her life. She had never even kissed anyone before! Most women her age already had multiple children, and she had never even seen a man naked.

Since the ceremony had not yet begun, the spectators were openly talking with one another. There were so many people speaking at once that Temari could hardly make out any words, but when she finally did, she frowned.

"People will forever remember this day as a monumental mistake," she heard one individual say.

"To think that piece of garbage will soon hold one of the most prodigious titles in the Kingdom. A shameful day indeed," another said, and she proceeded to block the voices out, since the rude comments were making her uncomfortable.

She was disappointed at what she was hearing. Maybe Naruto Uzumaki wasn't as great as some people made him out to be? However, her thoughts were interrupted as the large doors to the throne room opened, and the man in question walked through. Now, Temari usually considered herself a tomboy who wasn't very interested in boys, however, after seeing Naruto Uzumaki, her mind froze. He was utterly beautiful, and he carried himself with an almost supernatural elegance that made even King Hiruzen look like a peasant in comparison. His clothing was luxurious, and his hair reminded her of the sun, though it was decidedly less painful to gaze upon. She heard Kankuro making kissing noises beside her and realized that her awe must have been noticeable. It was rather embarrassing.

Suddenly, Naruto stopped walking, and his eyes began to scan the surrounding crowd. Eventually, his eyes turned directly towards her, and he stared for a few moments. Her face became almost beet red, and her heart started pounding in her chest. She knew that it was childish, but the most handsome person she had ever seen was looking at her, and she was feeling very nervous.

Naruto then nodded towards her, and she became confused. However, the reality of the situation dawned on her when a handsome black haired gentleman who was standing right next to her walked out of the crowd and over to the blond Uzumaki's side. Realizing that Naruto hadn't been looking at her, but at the man next to her, made her incredibly bashful. When Temari heard Kankuro snickering next to her she realized that he once again witnessed her embarrassing moment, she wished she could bury herself underground to hide from her embarrassment.

Eventually, she managed to compose herself and continued to watch the ceremony. When she heard Uzumaki explain why the black haired man, who she now knew was Itachi Uchiha, was accompanying him during the anointment, her admiration for him soared to new heights. The amount of respect that Naruto had for one of his soldiers was admirable, and Temari couldn't help but view him as a good man. It made her wonder why so many of the people in the crowd seemed to hate his guts.

Finally, the ceremony was over as King Hiruzen said, "Now, rise. Naruto, Lord of House Uzumaki, and Duke of Whirlpool."

Everyone in the room began to clap, and she couldn't help but applaud the blonde Uzumaki as well. She had never met him, but she would be lying if she said he wasn't a sort of celebrity to her. He was roughly her age, and yet, he was now one of the five most influential people in the Kingdom of Fire. He, along with Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga, were now the Three Dukes of Fire Country. For Naruto's name to be associated with Lords as powerful as Fugaku and Hiashi, spoke to his talent, and to the fact that he was destined for great things.

"You see that young man, Temari?" her father whispered into her ear. "So young, and yet so ambitious for power. Soon, we will all travel to the courtyard for an outdoor party, honoring his achievement. During the festivities, I'd like for you to get to know him."

"For what purpose, father?" she asked, but deep down she already knew.

"People as brilliant as him are extremely rare," Rasa explained. "I have spent the past eight years looking for a husband that would be suitable for you, and I believe I have finally found one. In the future, I intend to wed you to Lord Naruto."

She was upset. Even if Naruto was beautiful, she had never spoken to him before in her entire life, and now they were to be married? It was absurd, and it irritated her that her father had the power to make such a decision on her behalf. However, she knew that attempting to defy him was useless, seeing as his word was law.

The world just wasn't a fair place.

 **~Break~**

The courtyard was full of people celebrating and enjoying themselves. People were dancing, drinking expensive wine, and eating equally expensive food and hors d'oeuvres ( a small dish served before a meal). The women were playing hide-and-go-seek in the hedge maze, and the men were discussing politics and such. Overall, everyone was having a great time.

At the center of the courtyard, was Hiruzen sitting in a luxurious chair, with Naruto sitting in a noticeably less expensive looking chair right next to him. Yamato and Genma were both standing behind their Lord's seat, prepared to stop any attempts on his life, if such a situation presented itself. Aoba was standing at the front of the steps that led to Naruto and Hiruzen's location, checking the people who wished to present Naruto with gifts.

It was a tradition for a newly appointed Duke to sit next to the King during the post-ceremonial festivities, where the other Lords would come before him and wish him luck and give him a gift. So far, Naruto had been given presents from the majority of the Lords at the party, and he was beginning to get a bit tired of seeing people pretending to wish him good fortune. However, he straightened up in his chair when he saw the Uchiha family approaching him.

There was Lord Fugaku, his wife Lady Mikoto, and alongside them were Sasuke and his pink-haired wife, Sakura. All four of them nodded their heads respectfully in perfect sync. Naruto returned the gesture politely since held a tremendous amount of respect for Itachi's family, especially Sasuke, who was well known for his renowned swordsmanship.

"Congratulations, Lord Naruto," Fugaku addressed. "In honor of your new position, I had a blade forged for you."

One of the Uchiha servants approached Naruto with the sheathed weapon in their hands. Naruto stood from his chair and graciously accepted the blade. It was a saber, which was characterized by having a slightly curved single-edged blade, a hilt with a single-handed grip, and a knuckle guard. When he unsheathed the blade, he noticed that it was made of the highest quality steel available at the time. The grip was made from ivory, and the knuckle guard was crafted from nickel, with beautiful floral designs engraved in it. It looked like a gentleman's weapon, and it was very much appreciated. For someone like Naruto, who fought with speed and agility, rather than power, a saber was the perfect weapon.

"The blade was crafted to be exceptionally effective in one-on-one combat," Fugaku continued as Naruto admired the craftsmanship. "It is befitting of a man of your stature."

"Thank you, Lord Fugaku," Naruto said politely. "I will make use of this blade while fighting for our Kingdom."

He wasn't lying, as this blade was much better than the saber that he currently used. Naruto knew that this blade's cutting power was tremendous, and that the blade was likely almost impossible to break or damage, since it was crafted by the Uchiha's themselves. The Uchiha were well known for crafting steel blades that were said never to break no matter what. Nobody knew how they crafted such extraordinary weapons, since they kept the secrets hidden for centuries; however, the process must have been complicated and time-consuming, since the Uchiha rarely produced blades of such astounding quality.

Naruto sheathed the blade and then handed it to Yamato for safe keeping. The Uchiha family soon left, and he and the King were once again left with their respective guards, "That is quite the blade," Hiruzen commented. "You should be grateful, my boy."

"I am, in fact, immensely grateful," Naruto clarified with a polite smile. "I wasn't lying when I thanked Lord Fugaku."

Before their conversation could continue, the next gift-giver approached, and Naruto felt his heart sink. Walking towards him, surrounded by her guards was Lady Tsume. He realized that the evening he spent with her paid off, but it didn't mean that he liked to be reminded of it constantly, which he was every time he saw her. Regardless, he couldn't help but acknowledge that she looked beautiful in her gown, much like she did the night of the Royal Ball.

"Best wishes, _Lord Naruto_ ," she said in a seductive voice, which made King Hiruzen raise an eyebrow. "Today I bring you a gift. As you may know, House Inuzuka is well known for being the greatest animal tamers in the world. However, while we usually only train and raise hounds, we decided to acquire something a bit more 'exotic' for you."

Everyone, including, Naruto was extremely shocked to see one of the Inuzuka guards present a white tiger cub. Naruto had never seen such a creature in person before; however, he knew they were considered to be symbols of power and wild beauty. "The creature will serve you well, as it descends from a rare species of tiger that dwell in the peninsula of southern Fire Country. They are well known for their intelligence and staunch loyalty towards those who they consider to be their master," Tsume explained. "They grow up to eleven feet long and up to seven hundred pounds, and after birth, they reach their full size in an astonishing six months. However, what makes them so rare are their extraordinary life spans, which greatly surpass that of even a human's length of life. Some have been recorded to live for centuries, so this beast will serve you and your descendants for generations."

When Naruto looked at the small cat, it was hard to believe that it would grow to be such a huge and deadly beast. He wondered what allowed this creature to live such a long lifespan. Perhaps it was due to supernatural reasons? However, when the little beast was handed over to him, it looked directly into his eyes. It reached out for him with its clawed paw, and opened its mouth, showing a multitude of sharp fangs.

"It is already forming a connection with you," Tsume noted with a rare genuine smile. It seemed she had a soft spot for animals. "However, you must name him as soon as possible, otherwise, in the future, it will not consider you its master."

Naruto paused in thought for a moment before speaking, "I shall name him, Daiki (meaning: great glory / great nobility)."

"An excellent choice," Hiruzen complimented.

Lady Tsume bowed once more before walking away, making extra effort to sashay her hips. Naruto made sure to avoid looking at the display; otherwise, some may get the wrong idea and assume that he and Tsume were in a mutual relationship. He looked towards Hiruzen and became nervous when his King was looking at him curiously. He prayed that his King hadn't noticed Tsume's flirting, but it was wishful thinking since Hiruzen was so smart.

"Lady Tsume seems to fancy you quite a bit," Hiruzen commented when they were alone once more. "However, I hope you remember the consequences of sleeping with a Lady with whom you are not married."

"I remember, your Grace," Naruto said in an admirably calm voice. "Imprisonment, and in some cases, execution."

The King nodded but didn't continue to pursue the subject. Naruto sighed once he realized that he was out of the danger zone. It didn't matter if he was a Duke now, if word got out that he had relations with Lady Tsume, he would be severely punished. It was all because, during his reign, King Tobirama wanted to instill an era of moral virtue, and therefore, created such laws in the first place.

Naruto was admittedly surprised when another group approached him. They were individuals whom he had never met before, so he was at a loss. The oldest member of the group wore aristocratic robes and had auburn colored hair. Alongside him was the person Naruto assumed to be the eldest son, who wore similar looking robes, though, his were black. However, strangely, he wore an odd, black hood with cat-like ears and his face was covered in purple paint designs. Next to him was another boy, who looked very much like the aforementioned older man, with similar hair and facial features, but he had no eyebrows and his eyes were painted with thick eyeliner, making him look a bit like a tanuki.

However, what gathered the majority of his attention was the only female among the group. She was gorgeous, with teal eyes and sandy blonde hair, which was gathered into four consecutive pigtails. For clothing, she wore a short-sleeved, black dress that reached down to her legs, with slits along the side, which showed a bit of her leg, which was topped off by a red sash around her waist. Underneath her dress, she wore skintight black pants and heeled boots that reached up to her knee. What astounded him the most was the fact that on her waist she had a sheathed scimitar, implying that she took part in battle.

In a bold gesture, Naruto rose from his seat and approached the young woman. She looked surprised at his action, and was even more surprised when he reached his hand towards her, with his palm facing upward. The blonde woman tilted her head in confusion, but eventually, she got the message and placed her hand in Naruto's. Afterward, he slowly pulled her hand up and placed a soft kiss on the top of her hand.

"My lady," Naruto greeted politely, with the girls hand still being held by his own. She blushed up a storm and Naruto released her appendage before walking back and sitting in his chair.

The girl's father seemed happy at the turn of events and Hiruzen revealed who this visitor was when he welcomed them. "Greetings, Lord Rasa," the elderly King said with a smile. "I am glad that you arrived here safely after the long trek through the desert."

"The day that I cannot navigate my own desert is the day I give up my title, your Grace," Rasa said with a small smirk, which was returned by his King.

Hiruzen turned to Naruto before speaking, "Lord Naruto," he said. "This is Rasa, Lord of Wind Country. He and his predecessors have served and been a part of our Kingdom since the days of King Hashirama."

"I believe congratulations are in order, Lord Naruto," Rasa said respectfully. "I believe now, you and I hold the same title. I remember when I made the long journey here as a young man. I was perplexed at how different this country was from my own. Coincidentally, as long ago as it was, King Hiruzen also performed my anointment as well."

"Perhaps I shall live forever?" Hiruzen asked, and everyone, excluding Gaara, laughed at the admittedly funny joke.

"Thank you very much, Lord Rasa," Naruto responded. "But may I learn the names of your children?"

"Of course," Rasa said amicably. He then proceeded to introduce all of his children. "To my left, is my eldest son, Kankuro and to my right is my youngest son, and heir, Gaara."

"And your daughter?" Naruto asked, making Temari's cheeks tinge a bit pink, though nobody was able to notice.

"Ah, her name is Temari, and she is my eldest child and only daughter," Rasa explained with a knowing smile. He was very pleased that Naruto seemed to have taken an instant liking to his daughter.

Naruto nodded before remembering something, "Unless I'm mistaken, did you not say that your youngest son is your heir?" Naruto asked with a bit of confusion. "Why is your eldest son not the inheritor of your title?"

"Naruto," Hiruzen said, gaining the blonde's attention. "In their lands, the customs are different from our own. The order in which a child is born plays no factor in a Lord choosing his successor in the deserts of Wind Country. They decide which of their son's they think is most suitable for the position."

"Kankuro has never displayed any interest in succeeding me," Rasa explained. "You see, he travels with a group of performers, as he is an expert puppeteer. My son Gaara, on the other hand, has been groomed his entire life to become the Lord of Wind Country."

"Well, your customs are fascinating, and it is an honor meet you," Naruto said. "However, I am particularly interested in the sword your daughter has on her hip."

Rasa stiffened and his head snapped towards Temari, "I told you that carrying that thing was prohibited during our stay in the Capital," he said sternly before turning back towards Naruto and Hiruzen. "My apologies your Grace, and to you as well Lord Naruto."

"It is quite alright," Naruto butted in. "I am merely interested in knowing if your daughter is skilled with her weapon."

"What, you don't think a woman can fight?" Temari snapped, much to her father's ire.

Naruto didn't seem at all affected by her shift change in mood and gave her a beautiful smile. He rose from his chair for the second time during their interaction and approached the blonde girl once again. Lord Rasa was about to apologize for his daughter's rude behavior but paused when Naruto extended his hand to his daughter and requested to examine her blade. With hesitation, she unsheathed her sword and handed it to the High-Lord standing before her. Not that she could have refused, since Naruto was now of a higher social status than her.

Naruto held the blade up vertically in front of his face before observing it. He noticed that it was much more curved and slightly shorter than his recently acquired saber, and that the blade was a bit wider as well, meaning that while it was heavier, it had more cutting power. He then tested the blades balance by using one finger and came to the conclusion that it was expertly crafted. This prompted him to look in Temari's direction, and he noticed that she was still glaring at him.

"Your sword is very well made," he complimented. "Perhaps one day we can cross blades in a friendly match?"

Temari's scowl vanished and she blinked in surprise. No man had ever requested to duel with her, which she assumed was because they were afraid of any punishment they'd receive for harming her. However, she was able to tell that Naruto's proposition was genuine, and it made her see him in a different light. He had constantly been changing her opinion of him since she had arrived.

"Y-Yeah," she said before Naruto once again returned to his seat.

"Anyway," Lord Rasa said. "I present to you this gift."

Naruto was surprised when he was presented with a small golden slab with strange engravings in it, "It is a golden pass," Rasa explained. "It shows that you are a friend of Wind Country, and will allow you to enter our ports and cities without paying a tax. You need only present this pass to anyone who asks, and they will treat you as a friend of my House."

"Thank you, Lord Rasa," Naruto responded. "I will need to make use of this and visit you in your lands sometime soon."

Aoba then walked up the steps and politely requested to speak, "That is everyone, my Lord," he said, announcing that the gift giving ceremony had ended.

Naruto was happy that he would now be allowed to walk about the courtyard, but as he stood, Lord Rasa spoke once again, "If you wouldn't mind, Lord Naruto, I'd like to make a request to you."

"Of course, anything," Naruto said.

"You see," Rasa clarified. "My son Kankuro wishes to perform alongside the entertainment here, and I still need to introduce Gaara to the other lords. So, would you be willing to accompany my daughter during the remainder of the evening?"

Temari almost scoffed at her her father's blatant attempt to get her and Naruto together. However, she was mostly nervous, since she would soon be separated from her family and forced to interact with people she didn't know during the party, "Of course I would be willing, Lord Rasa," Naruto said with a smile.

"Wonderful," the Lord of Wind Country said before walking off with his youngest son. Kankuro then made his way towards the other performers, and Naruto and Temari were left alone, well excluding the presence of the King.

"Well, I shall leave you young people to your business," Hiruzen said before rising from his seat and turning to walk away. However, he looked over his shoulder once more before saying, "You two behave now."

Temari blushed and Naruto smiled before bowing to his King. At last, they were alone and Naruto gave his new companion a smile, one which she didn't return. The Duke of Whirlpool then gestured towards his guards and they handed him the sheathed sword he received from Lord Fugaku, and he then placed the blade in the holster on his hip. However, what surprised Temari the most was when the blonde Uzumaki was handed a small tiger cub, which he then held tenderly in his right hand. The little creature opened its fanged mouth widely at her, as if to warn her not to try to harm his master. However, the creature was far too small to cause any damage and it only caused Naruto to smile.

Naruto then presented his elbow to her, which meant that he was asking her to cradle his arm as they walked. However, she scoffed before walking ahead of him. The blonde soon caught up to her side and the smile on his face showed that he didn't seem at all perturbed by her rebuttal. Several feet back, Temari could see Naruto's guards following them at a safe distance, so to maintain a defensive perimeter without intruding on their privacy.

"Don't you think he is cute?" Naruto asked while nodding his head towards the while tiger cub in his hand. "His name is Daiki."

"He looks more dangerous than you," Temari jabbed in a very 'unladylike' way.

Naruto responded with a look of mock offense, which only served to make her more irritated. It made her feel as though he didn't take her seriously, which was probably the case. Funny enough, Daiki tried to growl at her again, as if he could tell that she was insulting his master, but it only came out as a squeaky meow type noise that almost made her gush; almost, since she was above such 'girly' behavior. However, she was shocked and appalled when Naruto started to gush in her place.

"Aww," he said. "Look at the little guy trying to growl. So cute!"

He then held the tiger cub up to his face and began to coo at the creature. She was able to make out the occasional 'you're so cute, yes you are' and nearly felt the need to palm her face. Was this wimpy man really 'Naruto the Undefeated' the most deadly man in the world? She almost felt the need to protect him from making a fool of himself when the cub began to lick his face lovingly, right in front of the other lords, who looked incredibly weirded out.

Finally, Naruto stopped acting like a fool and looked towards Temari as if expecting her to speak, "Well," he said. "Tell me about yourself, my Lady."

"What's there to tell?" she muttered sarcastically. "As you can see, I'm basically a political bargaining chip for my father."

Naruto frowned at the statement but decided to not comment on it. Normally, he was able to charm people easily, but Temari seemed immune to his charisma, which was odd. However, he wasn't one to give up easily, so he began plotting ways to get on her good side. He was about to attempt to strike up conversation once more, but then saw a group of people that he recognized. It was Itachi, and the other children of the High-Lords. He decided that socializing with them would perhaps make Temari more comfortable.

"Follow me," he said politely.

 **~Break~**

Itachi had spent the entire time after Naruto's anointment enjoying himself with his brother and sister-in-law and their friends. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't awkward interacting with Kiba after learning about Naruto and the Inuzuka heir's mother, but he made sure to steer clear of the subject. Thankfully, Kiba seemed completely unaware of the topic, for which Itachi thanked God extensively.

"I don't see what's so special about this Naruto guy," was the first thing Itachi heard when he started actually listening to what everyone was talking about. "So he won one battle, big whoop. I know people who have won plenty of battles, and they weren't made Dukes."

"Did the people that you're talking about defeat an army of twenty thousand men with only an army of nine thousand to end a war?" Shikamaru asked, poking an irreparable hole in Kiba's argument.

"You were there, right, Itachi?" Ino asked with excitement. "What was the battle like?"

Itachi paused as he attempted to find a way to explain military strategy to a group of people who had no clue about such complex topics. He would love to explain Naruto's brilliant use of the pincer movements during the Battle of Storm Valley, but realized that the impressiveness would only be understood by Shikamaru and Sasuke, both of whom were the only other people here familiar with complex warfare tactics. Kiba was a warrior as well, but more in a brutish way.

"It was raining, so the ground was covered in thick, wet, mud," Itachi began. "The Black Lighting Army marched towards us aggressively, and we could feel the tremors of their steps towards us, even over the downpour. However, Lord Naruto was completely confident that his strategy would prove successful, and that allowed for our men to remain unafraid. Our army utilized pincer movements, which resulted in us surrounding our enemy, thus negating their numbers advantage. I was the one who led the cavalry charge that wrecked the enemy army from behind, and at that point, victory was inevitable for us. We won with minor casualties, and the enemy army of twenty thousand was slaughtered to the last man."

"Jeez, I can't wait to meet this guy in person," Shikamaru said in appreciation. "I've only ever seen him during formal events and have never had the chance to actually speak to him."

Kiba scoffed, "He doesn't seem all that great."

After a few more minutes of conversation, Itachi began to miss the company of his Commander. He and Naruto were best friends, and he was always able to enjoy himself when he had Naruto at his side. However, while he loved his brother very much, he didn't find his friends to be that interesting. Thankfully, as if God was on his side, Ino spoke.

"Oh my, God" Ino exclaimed. "Lord Naruto is walking with a young woman. Do you think she is his mistress?"

Shikamaru sighed at his wife's declaration, "Don't get too excited, dear," he practically droned. "You always make ridiculous assumptions when you get excited."

He and the others were standing inside of a gazebo in the garden of the courtyard, when Naruto began approaching them. He noticed an attractive blonde walking at his side, but it was the tiger in his Commander's hand that immediately caught his attention. A part of him didn't even want to ask, but when one sees their friend carrying a tiger, they are pretty much obligated to speak to them about it.

Once Naruto was standing before them, Itachi was the first to speak, "You have a tiger," he stated simply.

Naruto's response was to hold the tiger cub up next to his face and give a lopsided smile, "His name is Daiki, and he's a rather cute looking fellow."

"Indeed," Itachi stated in a dull monotone. However, he noticed that the blonde standing next to Naruto was equally weirded out the Duke of Whirlpool's strange behavior.

Itachi nodded towards the blonde haired woman and Naruto's face gained a look of realization, "Oh how careless of me," he said before gesturing towards his companion. "Everyone, this is Lady Temari, of House Sand."

"Sooo, she's not your mistre-" Ino began to blurt out before Shikamaru clamped his hand over her mouth with a sheepish look on his face.

Sasuke walked out of the gazebo and approached Naruto until he was in arms reach of him. He stared stoically for a few moments before extending his hand. Naruto shifted Daiki into his left hand before grasping the Uchiha heir's hand in a firm handshake. Itachi was happy to see his brother and his best friend being so cordial with one another, as he'd half expected Sasuke to be rude.

"I know my father already extended his congratulations, but I feel as though I should do so personally," Sasuke said.

Naruto smiled, "You are very much your father's son, stern, yet honorable."

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at Naruto's comment, which didn't surprise Itachi at all. Nobody, not even his brother, was immune to Naruto's charm. The guy was impossible not to like if you actually got to know him. Which was why it was such a shame that so many people gained wrong opinions of him, even though they had never met him in person.

"Is that a sword?" Sakura asked in bewilderment as she brought herself to stand at her husband's side. It was clear that her question was directed towards Temari.

"Yes," Temari answered stiffly. "I don't see what's so strange about me having a sword."

"You even know how to swing that thing?" Kiba asked casually.

"Perhaps I can show you?" Temari growled, but then was stopped from doing anything when a calming hand was placed on her shoulder.

"I apologize on his behalf, my Lady," Naruto said kindly. "It is just rather rare, especially in our country, for a woman to be carrying a blade is all."

Her immediate response was to roughly shrug his shoulder off before glaring heatedly in his face, "Oh piss off you womanish blonde," she shouted, much to everyone's shock. "People talk about you like you're some sort of legendary warrior and military commander, but all I see is a wimp. Acting like a fool in front of everyone with your little pet. I don't give a shit what my father says, I'm not spending another minute of my life with you!"

There was nothing but deathly silence after her rant and Temari finally realized what she had said. She had been so upset about her father's declaration that she would be forced to marry Naruto, that she made the blonde Uzumaki the source of her ire. It wasn't fair to him, considering he had no idea what her father was planning, and he was only being nice by agreeing to watch over her during the party. She was about to apologize, but then an unidentifiable voice made itself known.

"Naruto Uzumaki," the voice stated, cold and deadly.

Naruto shifted his calm expression from Temari and to the voice, and identified it as belonging to Ko Hyuga, Hinata's former guardian. Itachi immediately knew that the man's intentions couldn't be good, and the rapier blade in his hands didn't help that feeling. Ko was a renowned swordsman of the highest caliber, which was why he had been given the honor of guarding Hinata in the past. However, after she and Naruto ran away together, Ko had been shamed by Hiashi for failing his duty, and was banished from House Hyuga.

"Ko," Naruto greeted calmly.

"Enough with the greetings," Ko growled before pointing his blade towards Naruto's throat.

Naruto and Itachi's personal guards all unsheathed their weapons and prepared to attack, but were forced to stop when Ko spoke, "Naruto Uzumaki, I challenge you to one-on-one combat."

A crowd began to form due to the commotion, and for good reason. It wasn't every day that people were able to witness a duel of this caliber. And it would definitely happen, since if Naruto were to decline, he'd be dishonored forever. Ko backed away from the Lord of House Uzumaki so the man could draw his blade. The blonde in question handed his pet tiger cub over to Itachi, and with a deadly still expression on his face, he unsheathed his saber and pointed it in the direction of his opponent, which signaled that he was ready for battle.

Upon seeing the initial clash of swords, Temari was finally able to realize why Naruto was so renowned. He and Ko were crossing blades with astonishing skill and they were clearly in a deadlock. Ko was constantly trying to pierce Naruto with his rapier, as rapiers were mostly used for stabbing, since they were thin, light, sharp-pointed swords used for thrusting. Naruto was expertly parrying every strike, but he had yet to go on the offensive.

When Naruto narrowly avoided a thrust that would have pierced his skull, Temari noticed that Itachi and the rest of Naruto's men tensed in worry. It was clear that they held their Commander in high esteem. Naruto blocked another multitude of attacks, before attempting a devastating downward strike that would have killed Ko instantly. However, the former Hyuga managed to quickly maneuver around the slash before countering with another thrust.

It was odd to see Naruto fighting in his formal wear, since he was still wearing the same sky-blue tunic and dark blue justacorps coat that he wore during the anointment ceremony. In contrast, Ko was wearing full plate armor, so it didn't seem very fair. As honor dictated, Naruto was well within his right to request that his armor be brought to him in preparation for the fight, but it was clear that he was confident he could win without it.

Suddenly, in a precise move, Naruto parried another thrust before quickly slashing at Ko's exposed neck. It was successful, as the former Hyuga's rapier fell to the ground as the waterfall of blood began to pour from his neck. The man gargled on the red liquid as he tried to speak, but to no avail. Sakura and Ino turned away from the gruesome sight, but Temari was transfixed. She was fairly confident that she wouldn't have been able to defeat Ko, and yet, Naruto did so easily. The Duke of Whirlpool then held his blade out to one of his guards, and they pulled out a cloth, took the weapon from their Lord's hand and began to clean it.

"Tell me," Naruto said with a pleasant smile while turning in Temari's direction. "Did you still consider me to be womanly?"

Temari was initially shocked at the question, but then she couldn't stop herself from smiling, "Yes," she answered. "But at least you can fight."

Naruto's eyes widened in false surprise, "A compliment," he said. "Well, I suppose that's a start."

Temari's smile widened and she unconsciously chuckled a bit. Perhaps things wouldn't be as bad as she thought?

 **~End~**

 **The longest chapter yet, reaching nearly 10,000 words. Let me know if you'd prefer shorter, more frequent updates, or longer chapters like this, that take only slightly longer to write.**

 **This chapter was my favorite to write thus far, since it advances the plot so much. For those of you who are wondering where all of the big battles are, don't worry, they will start to become frequent once the War for the Throne begins.**

 **For those of you who are curious about the style of sword Naruto received from Fugaku, Google Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber and look through the first fiew pictures in Google Images. You'll see a lot of swords used by military officers during the American Civil War, which makes sense since those blades were the ones that inspired me when I decided what kind of weapon to give Naruto. Naruto's sword is a lot more extravagant than the swords that come up when you do the search, but that makes sense. If you want to see the inspiration for Temari's sword, Google, Ottoman Scimitar.**

 **Naruto's choice of clothing and armor are very similar to the character Griffith from Berserk. If you want to see what his formal clothing looks like, Google Berserk Griffith's Winter Attire and if you want to see what his armor looks like, Google Griffith Hawk of Light Armor. For both of these pictures make sure you are using Google Images, otherwise, you may not be referencing the image I am talking about. I know a lot of you may hate Griffith, and for good reason, but you can't deny that his armor looks amazing.**

 **Temari's clothing is essentially that same dress that she wore at the beginning of Naruto Shippuden, but modified to fit the Medieval theme of this story.**

 **Naruto's new companion, Daiki, is somewhat based on a Siberian Tiger, at least in terms of its size. However, the creature is a supernatural beast, and will be a valuable ally to Naruto during his life.**

 **Thanks again.**


	4. Chapter Four

**Beauty is an asset, just like physical prowess, charisma, brains or emotional intelligence. The key with any gift is in the way that you use it. It doesn't define you as a person. Rather, it's an asset to be used judiciously and with an understanding of how it is just a small part of who you are (Dale Archer).**

 **(At the end of this chapter is a list of character descriptions)**

 **The Cost of Ambition: Chapter Four**

 _(Sometime in the distant future)_

 _The lone figure walked down a dirt road with no particular destination in mind. He was wearing a hooded cloak, so his features were hidden, but it was clear that he was a man. It was evening now, and the moon was full, allowing for the traveler to see where he was going. His life was a lonely one, but having friends was no longer safe for him._

 _In the past, he had many who he would consider to be precious to him, but now he avoided human interaction altogether. Not because he had lost his faith in people, but because his new status didn't allow social interaction. If his face were to be seen by anyone, he had little doubt that they would immediately notify the Sentinel Knights, and then he would be captured and executed._

 _As he continued trekking forward, he passed a large tree. On one of the tree's particularly large branches, three dead men were hanging from nooses. Next to them, was a terrified man awaiting his own death. He stood atop a log, with the noose tied loosely around his neck. In front of him, were three men, each with the high-quality steel armor. They wore yellow capes, which told the lone traveler that they were members of the Sentinel Knights, the law enforcers of the New Age._

" _You stand here today, guilty of the crime of banditry," one of the Sentinel Knights said. "Therefore, in the name of King Naruto of the House Uzumaki, the Resurrected, the King of Kings, and the Savior of the World, I hereby sentence you to hang by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy on your soul."_

 _The log was kicked from under the man's feet, and the sound of his windpipe being crushed echoed throughout the area. The lone traveler did not pity the bandit, but his heart became heavy upon seeing yet another death. That was all this world had become in recent memory, ever since the War. Where in the past most criminals were imprisoned for their actions, now they were executed without trial._

 _It made the world seem like a better place at face value, true, but those who were smart knew better. Right now, the Kingdom of Fire was targeting all those who broke its sacred laws, but what would happen after that? Eventually, the Sentinel Knights would shift their attention towards another group, and then the mass slaughter would begin once again. People would always need something to blame their problems on._

" _You there," one of the Sentinel Knights called out. "You got a permit to travel these roads?"_

 _The cloaked man stopped in his tracks as he realized that he was now the object of their attention. Under the new regime, citizens were not allowed to travel at night, and only those who received a special permit were granted the right to do so. It was, admittedly, a necessary change, since times were dangerous ever since the Merging of the Worlds, as at night the creatures of darkness skulked about, making it especially dangerous for humans._

" _You hear me?" the Knight demanded, before preparing to approach the cloaked man. "I asked if you had a travel permit."_

 _A hand slid out of the lone wanderer's cloak, and in it was a piece of parchment that allowed for evening travel. It was a fake of course, but it was well made and would fool anyone who was asking. The Knight seemed content with the presentation of the permit and continued with his business. However, one of his comrades was still suspicious._

" _Remove your hood," he ordered calmly._

 _Upon hearing the demand, the cloaked man made no movements, and as a result, the Sentinel Knights looked to one another before they all placed their hands on the hilts of their blades. "You heard him," one of them said. "Take your hood off, now."_

 _The lone traveler sighed, before realizing that either way, a fight was inevitable. He did as instructed and removed the hood from his head. He had fair skin, and his face held an expression of one who had witnessed a great many tragedies. However, the Knights weren't concerned with his expression, and were more interested in his now revealed identity. They knew this man, as he was one of the most wanted criminals in all of the Elemental Nations._

" _Itachi Uchiha, leader of the rebellion," one stated after they all drew their swords. "Orders are to take you directly to the King, alive. However, if you resist, we'll have no choice but to kill you where you stand."_

 _Itachi's stance on the ultimatum was unclear, as his expression belied none of his thoughts. In truth, the knights were beginning to get unnerved by his lack of emotion, seeing as their presence usually inspired fear in those who opposed the Crown._

" _King Naruto is a benevolent man," another of the knights said in an attempt to get Itachi to cooperate. "If you come with us, I am confident that he will show you mercy. After all, in the past, you were once a man of an honorable reputation."_

 _Itachi didn't respond as he contemplated his next move. If he was taken to Naruto, he had little doubt that he'd be killed almost immediately; so logically, following their orders was out of the question. However, he had been meaning to confront his former Commander for some time, and had spent the last few years preparing himself, so perhaps now was the time? He immediately purged the idea from his mind, seeing as he wasn't even close to being strong enough to defeat Naruto, seeing as the blonde Uzumaki was now in an entirely different realm of power. His decision was made clear when he slowly unsheathed his sword, in perpetration for battle. Naruto may be out of his league, but these people were just ordinary humans, so they were child's play._

 _The Knights got the message and attacked all at once. Itachi managed to avoid them with ease, and even cut one of them down in the process. Now, with only two of his opponents remaining, he parried a strike that would have pierced him in the chest, and ducked under a slash that would have lopped his head from his shoulders._

 _Eventually, the combined efforts of his opponents were becoming a bit of a dull affair, so he activated his trump card. When the leader of the knights was attempting a downward sword strike, he made eye contact with a pair of crimson red eyes with three tomoe. His body became paralyzed, and Itachi slashed him from his right hip to his left collarbone, killing him almost instantly._

 _The last remaining knight was appalled at the sight, "D-Demon," he said. In truth, the eyes did make Itachi look rather demonic, since normal human beings didn't possess such unique powers. The knight swallowed the lump in his throat before attacking._

 _However, upon looking into the red glowing gaze of his opponent, he froze, just like his comrade. The world around him morphed, and he was standing in the deepest pits of hell, shackled in place with barbed chains. Demons were surrounding him, all looking as if he was their favorite kind meal. His heart sank, and he felt a primal fear well up inside of him. Thankfully, before he could be eaten, he was dragged back into reality and collapsed to his knees._

" _What are you?" he asked while looking up at Itachi in fear. "How can you make me see such things?"_

" _I want you to pass a message along to Naruto," Itachi said, ignoring the question altogether. "Tell him that the past will never be forgotten. He hasn't won just yet, and there are still people out there that will stop him."_

 _After passing his message along, Itachi continued on his way, leaving two corpses and one traumatized man in his wake. As he walked in the darkness of the night, only the glowing eyes of his sharingan could be seen._

 **~Break~**

(In the Present)

Upon observing the manor, Itachi couldn't help but be impressed by the magnitude of it. After being allowed through the guarded front gate, he was welcomed with a spectacular sight. In front of the manor, was the most beautiful garden he had ever had the pleasure of laying his eyes on, and he had seen quite a few during his childhood. The flowers, in their vast array of colors, were arranged to create a massive color palette. If only he could gaze upon it from the sky, he imagined it was even more magnificent from such a perspective.

He walked through the cobbled path that led to the entrance of the manor. After passing a tree his danger sense kicked in, but it was too late. The creature pounced with trained ferocity, and pinned Itachi on his back. However, the former Uchiha heir only looked up in annoyance as his Commander's pet looked down on his as if he were a tasty canary.

"Hello, Daiki," he said in his typically stoic voice, though there was a hint of exasperation to it.

Thankfully, Itachi was soon relieved of the weight on his chest when Daiki decided that the human he was playing with was no longer interesting. The tiger, which was now the size of a large hound, climbed back to its resting place in the tree, from where it observed the entire garden. Even after seeing the creature on a regular basis, it never ceased to amaze Itachi just how quickly the animal had grown in these past months. And perhaps even more astounding, was that according to Tsume, it still wasn't even close to its peak size!

"Good talk, Daiki," he mumbled under his breath before finally continuing onward until he was standing directly in front of the main entrance to Naruto's personal manor.

Guarding the front door, as usual, was Aoba. For Itachi, Aoba's presence watching over Naruto was as constant as the moon in the sky. The man's staunch loyalty was easily explainable, since he, alongside Yamato and Genma, had been a part of Naruto's army from day one. All three of them had been acquaintances of Minato Namikaze in one way or another, so it made sense that they'd pledge their loyalty to his only child. With that in mind, it was easy to tell why Naruto chose them to be his personal guardians. Anyway, Aoba was excellent at gauging whether or not a person was a threat, so he typically manned the door of any room or building Naruto was occupying.

"Lord Itachi," he greeted respectfully, seeing as Itachi held the highest position in Naruto's army.

Itachi nodded to his valued comrade, who politely opened the door, granting him entry. Upon entering, he was a tad bit surprised to see both Yamato and Genma lazing about. Genma was leaning back in a dining chair, while chewing on his favorite throwing needle, a habit Itachi still to this day found to be quite odd. Unsurprisingly, Yamato was pacing throughout the kitchen, something he always used to do when there was nothing to occupy his time. They were quite the creatures of habit.

"Itachi," Genma welcomed casually while ignoring the glare from Yamato.

"Lord Itachi," Yamato said, correcting his comrade. "Why do you intentionally ignore proper honorifics?"

Genma sighed in a mixture of irritation and boredom, "Commander Naruto is the only man I'll call 'Lord' during casual conversation. Not everyone sheathes their sword in their ass like you, Yamato."

"Enough," Itachi interjected before things could escalate. Thankfully, the two man-children shut up, as if they were just scolded by their mothers. "Where is Naruto? Usually, he would never dream of missing the opportunity to show off his new property to me."

Upon being made a High-Lord, Naruto was given a manor house in the Capital. While High-Lords spent the majority of their time ruling over the provinces granted to them by the King, they were often summoned to the Capital for a multitude of reasons, such as, but not limited to, council meetings, and formal events. Since they were called to the Capital so frequently, High-Lords had manors designated for them during their stay. However, it was clear that the manor now in Naruto's possession wasn't new, so Itachi wondered who it originally belonged to.

"If you're looking to speak with 'his Lordship' you've come at a bad time," Genma explained, making sure to glance at Yamato while saying 'his Lordship' in an exaggerated fashion. "He hasn't moved an inch in hours."

"Pardon?" Itachi asked. Naruto was never one to sit about, seeing as he felt there was always progress to be made in whatever was occupying the majority of his time and attention.

"Go take a look for yourself," Genma said. "He's in the parlor."

After making his way to the parlor, Itachi was greeted with a sight that nearly made him palm his face. Naruto, clad in his silver armor, was standing in a dignified pose, as an eccentric looking man painted his portrait. As usual, his Commander looked as though he was carved by the hands of God, but it didn't change the fact that the scene was a little ridiculous. This was the aspect of nobility that always made Itachi cringe, while Naruto seemed to thrive in such an environment.

Without moving, or turning in his direction, Naruto sniffed the air, in a manner befitting that of an animal, "Itachi?" he said. "Is that you I smell?"

"Smell?" Itachi asked in bewilderment. "Should I even ask?"

"You have a distinct scent, Itachi, one I'd never forget. It is one of your better qualities," Naruto clarified as if it wasn't an utterly bizarre thing to say. "You smell like jasmine, and I command you to tell me how you've achieved such an aroma."

Itachi actually sighed in exasperation, "You know, if what you just said were to become public knowledge, it wouldn't help with the already budding rumors that you and I are in a homosexual relationship."

"You both seem pretty gay to me," Temari casually remarked from her relaxed position on the nearby sofa. She had removed her boots, and her bare feet were propped up on the couches armrests. Her eyes were closed, and they hadn't opened, even after Itachi made his presence known.

"I must have been a terrible sinner in a past life to deserve such perpetual torment," Itachi mumbled to himself.

It was clear that Naruto heard him, as the room soon echoed with the blonde's laughter. Upon hearing it, Itachi couldn't help but smile as well. Considering how stressful Naruto's life could be at times, seeing him happy was always a welcomed sight. On a separate note, he hadn't expected to see Temari during his visit here. It appeared as though she and Naruto had quite a close friendship.

"What brings you here, Itachi?" Naruto asked after he finished laughing.

"I am surprised that you haven't heard," Itachi said, making Naruto tilt his head in confusion, which resulted in him being chastised by the painter. "King Hiruzen's granddaughter arrived in the Capital earlier today, for her 14th birthday celebration in a weeks time."

Mirai Sarutobi, the daughter of Asuma and Kurenai. Naruto had spent much time with her when she was a younger, mostly because he was mentoring her cousin, Konohamaru. From the day she was able to form complex thoughts, she immediately took a liking the Naruto, calling him 'blondie' as a term of endearment. He hadn't been able to see her since the War began, so he would need to make sure to find an excellent gift.

"Ah," Naruto exclaimed in realization. "It's hard to believe that little Mirai is growing up so quickly, soon she will be as beautiful as her mother."

"Apparently, she wanted to make sure that you would be in attendance," Itachi continued.

Naruto seemed to take the piece of information at face value, seeing as he was oddly oblivious to female attraction. As intelligent as he was, the blonde Duke of Whirlpool could be incredibly dense about certain things. It took him years to realize that Hinata was in love with him, and that was only when she outright confessed her feelings.

After expressing the fact that he and Itachi would, in fact, be attending the party, the painting was finally finished. When looking at it, Itachi was actually very surprised by the realism. It was an image of Naruto, standing in the center of what was meant to be the Battle of Storm Valley. He looked incredibly distinguished, with the bodies of his defeated enemies scattered around the muddy ground.

"Excellent work, Takara," Naruto complimented, apparently impressed with a job well done.

"It isn't every day that I get to paint a legend," Takara stated dramatically. "I made sure to pour every bit of my soul into that painting, my Lord."

The strange man then bowed in an exaggerated manner, before walking towards the exit. He walked just about how a person would expect him to, as he moved in a way similar to that of a lady. Itachi was about to ask Naruto what Takara's story was, but then he realized that was a stupid idea. Today had already been filled with enough oddities, and another one may begin to grate on Itachi's sanity.

"Do you even know any ordinary people?" Temari asked Naruto once they were all finally alone.

"I know Itachi," Naruto said in his own defense. "Look at how average he is."

"I refuse to comment," Itachi, ironically, commented.

Any further conversation was interrupted as Yamato entered the room, with a tired looking man at his side. It was Hayate Gekko, one of the King's Royal Guardians. The man was a renowned swordsman, which was why it was so odd that he looked like he never got any sleep. "Lord Naruto," Yamato announced. "One of the King's men is here, he says that it is an emergency."

Hayate was about to speak, but he then he was racked with a series of painful-looking coughs, "I apologize," he managed to say after a gasp of breath. After the coughing finally subsided, he cleared his throat before getting down to business, "The King want's to speak with you immediately. If you would come with me, it'd be appreciated, my Lord."

"What is the issue?" Naruto asked as he prepared to leave.

"An attempt has been made on Lady Mirai's life."

 **~Break~**

"Brother Naruto!" was the first thing Itachi heard as they entered the Royal Keep. Standing before them, was the King's eldest grandchild, Konohamaru. He was about fifteen years of age, making him about a year older than his cousin, Mirai. He had the standard brown hair of the Sarutobi clan with as black as coal. For clothing, he wore a black long-sleeved tunic with a blue scarf around his neck.

Naruto smiled politely before nodding in his protégé's direction, "It has been quite some time," Naruto said. "I trust that you are continuing to get good grades at the Academy?"

Much like Itachi and Naruto, Konohamaru was hoping to make his mark in the Military Academy as well. While not as talented as his mentor, Konohamaru made up for it with his determination and fearlessness, both of which were necessary for any leader that was worth a damn. The Sarutobi teen was the youngest person since Naruto to enroll in the Academy, but it was safe to say that he wouldn't finish in one year the same way his mentor did.

"Of course, with your lessons, I'm way ahead of anyone else there," Konohamaru bragged. "Though all the other students are very resentful about my age, but I don't let it get to me."

"Very good," Naruto said before placing his hand on Konohamaru's head and tousling his hair. "I'm proud of you."

Generally, such a gesture would be considered annoying to a prideful person like Konohamaru, but he and Naruto had a special relationship. The Sarutobi teen looked up to Naruto, and respected him more than anyone in the world, even more than the King. Eventually, it evolved into a big brother-little brother relationship, where Naruto looked out for Konohamaru and gave him free lessons on military strategy.

"It's good to see you again, but the old man is waiting for you," Konohamaru said.

After saying their farewells, Itachi and Naruto finally made their way to the throne for their audience with the King. The first thing they saw after being allowed through the massive doors of the throne room, was Hiruzen's stern expression. Itachi hadn't seen such a look on the King's face since the Kingdom of Lightning declared war a year ago. It was a look that said that the gloves were off, and that justice was about to be served. Strangely enough, two armored men were guarding a wooden crate that was bound with iron chains. One could only imagine what was inside, but their reason for being here was likely related to the mystery.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Lord Naruto," Hiruzen announced before standing from his throne and walking down the steps towards his guests. "As I'm sure you've heard, someone attempted to take the life of my beloved granddaughter."

"Yes, I was informed," Naruto said. "Is she alright, your Grace?"

"Physically, yes. However, such an attack can be especially traumatizing for a girl of that age," Hiruzen informed. "Normally, I would have my men deal with such a thing, but the circumstances of this assassination attempt require someone with your elite skill set."

Right after the King finished speaking, the sealed crate began to jerk about, as if a rabid animal were trying to escape it. Neither the guards or the King seemed surprised at the strange occurrence, which told Itachi that it had likely been happening on and off for some time. Hiruzen glared at the crate until the shaking finally stopped before turning towards his most trusted military commander.

"Naruto, my boy," he said, speaking to him more as a grandfather and less as a king. "What you are about to see may be overwhelming, and I need your word that anything you see in this room, stays in this room. Do you understand?"

This was all beginning to make Itachi a bit nervous. It wasn't that he was afraid, it was just that he was never used to seeing his King looking so overwhelmed. Hiruzen had been serving as King Regent long before Itachi was even born, and could always be viewed as an unbreakable pillar that supported the weight of an entire kingdom. But looking at him now made Itachi realize that he was vulnerable, like any other human being.

Both Naruto and Itachi nodded in agreement to be discreet about what they saw. The King then nodded to his guards, who began the tedious process of unsealing the crate. Once it was opened, the whole room froze in anticipation as nothing initially happened. Suddenly, a humanoid creature crawled out and sniffed the air as if it were some kind of hound. It then set its milky-white eyes on Naruto before screeching uncontrollably.

It attempted to attack the blonde, but it was pinned down by the guards before being tossed back into the crate, which was immediately locked once more. The room went silent, and even the usually stoic Itachi couldn't prevent his eyes from widening slightly; as what they had just seen, wasn't human, by any definition. Itachi looked at Naruto to gauge his reaction, and saw that his Commander had retained his poise. It was admirable that Naruto could remain calm under any circumstances, and it was yet another quality that made him an excellent leader.

"As you can see, the culprit was no ordinary assassin," Hiruzen explained gravely. "The creature you just saw attempted to murder my granddaughter for unknown reasons. After being stopped, it was able to sustain fatal injuries without dying, even withstanding a spear through the chest. Now, do you see why I need your assistance, Naruto?"

"What do you need of me, your Grace?" Naruto asked in a composed tone of voice.

"My spies weren't able to unearth the identity of the individual who organized this assassination attempt. However, they were able to discover that this strange creature originated from a swamp in Rice Country." Hiruzen said. "I'll need you to lead a search party north, to uncover the identity of the person responsible, and if possible, capture or kill him."

Naruto nodded, "I'll have a group organized within the hour," he said before bowing and exiting the throne room with a determined look in eyes. A look Itachi hadn't seen since the war ended.

The former Uchiha heir smirked, it seemed that Naruto was still at the top of his game.

 **~Break~**

Itachi and Naruto were leading the search party down a dirt road in Rice Country. They embarked on their journey two days ago, in which they spent the entirety of the days riding and the evenings camping out. Naruto was still wearing his trademark armor, but over it, he wore a discreet brown traveling cloak so he wouldn't attract as much attention. Riding alongside them were Sai, Hayate, and surprisingly, Temari. She seemed excited to see some action, but Itachi wondered how Lord Rasa would react if his daughter was hurt, or worse even, killed.

It was nearing evening, and the wet ground made it clear that they were entering the marshlands. Apparently, this place served as the birthplace for the weird creature that tried to kill Mirai, so nothing good could possibly come of it. However, Itachi felt admittedly safer as he looked down at Daiki, who was traveling next to Naruto's horse, looking ready to maul anyone, or in this case, anything, that threatened his master.

"According to our instructions, we should be arriving soon," Sai stated tonelessly.

"What exactly should we be looking for?" Temari asked. "This swamp is massive."

Naruto didn't immediately answer, as he was pondering their situation, ""I imagine our presence in this marsh won't be ignored," he said. "So it's very likely that whoever we're searching for will come to us."

As if to prove his point, Daiki growled aggressively, making everyone rein in their horses. Eventually, out of the shadows of the marshland, came a little girl. She was wearing a tattered dress, and her entire appearance was rather disheveled. Her presence was sinister, and made Itachi prepare for the worst.

"Naruto Uzumaki," she spoke in a ghostly voice.

"You know of me?" Naruto asked after narrowing his eyes.

"Naruto Uzumaki," she repeated in the same creepy voice. Afterward, she raised her head, and the same milky eyes of the creature they saw in the throne room became visible. "I keep dreaming about what your blood tastes like; the blood of the prophesied one."

"I imagine it tastes like anyone else's blood," Sai responded offhandedly, once again demonstrating his inability to comprehend human interaction. In this case, he was oblivious to the obvious tension of the situation.

The trees rattled as a powerful gust of wind swept through the surrounding area. Suddenly, more presences made themselves known as dozens upon dozens of humanoid monsters walked out from the treeline, until they were completely surrounding the search party. The all shared the same dead looking skin and milky white eyes, which showed they were all non-human.

"Shit," Temari commented grimly, summing up their situation fairly well.

"Everyone," Naruto calmly said, getting his comrade's attention. "These creatures are capable of surviving serious injuries. So, the best course of action will be to sever their heads."

When the first creature came towards them, it was pounced on by Daiki, who went to work devouring its face. Everyone then dismounted their horses before engaging the enemies individually. Temari's scimitar was well suited for their situation, since it was able to sever limbs with ease. Itachi managed to behead one of them, and was pleased to see that it lost control of its body. Naruto was right, at least they now had a surefire way of defeating these things.

The pace of the battle increased to an almost chaotic level as more and more of the humanoid creatures were flooding out of the treeline. After a few minutes, the search party was surrounded by piles of headless corpses, yet there was still no end to the fighting in sight. Thankfully, all of those who were present were competent fighters, so they were efficiently slaughtering their enemies.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the seemingly endless swarm stopped. Everyone was panting, and Hayate was even worse off, as he was a coughing mess. Naruto surveyed the area, before informing his comrades that they were finally able to relax. The only one of them that seemed to be happy was Daiki, as he finally was able to act out on his killing instinct. In fact, he had probably killed more than anyone else today.

Just when they all thought they were safe, an eerie laughter echoed throughout the surrounding swamp. Itachi almost sighed in frustration as he realized that their break would be short-lived. Even Sai was showing signs of exhaustion, which was one of the first human behaviors Itachi had ever seen from him.

"Well, well," the oddly silky voice said. "Here, at last, I'm glad. I thought I'd have to wait for an eternity."

"Who are you?" Itachi asked calmly.

"It was child's play, predicting that the King would send the great Naruto Uzumaki to fish me out," the voice said again, ignoring Itachi's question entirely. "He can be so sentimental at times, especially when it comes to his family. You see, old age isn't his only weakness."

The situation was out of their control, as they were completely clueless as to the location of this mystery figure. The voice seemed to echo through every corner of the marsh, making it impossible to trace. And to make matters worse, it appeared that their presence here had been expected. Had the attempted assassination of Lady Mirai been a ploy to draw Naruto out of the Capital?

"It must be so frightening, growing old," the voice continued. "Knowing that you are becoming obsolete and in the way. Don't you all just wish Old-Sarutobi would die already so the world can move on and become more interesting?"

Being one of King Hiruzen's Royal Guards, Hayate was particularly outraged at the tasteless remark, "Show yourself, you animal," he said while holding his blade in a ready position.

The figures only response was to cackle once more, "As you wish."

A few feet in front of the group, a mound could be seen slowly forming in the mud. Eventually, like a snake slithering out of its skin, the figure rose out of the swamp. He looked like something out of a nightmare, with very pale skin, golden eyes with slitted pupils, and purple markings around his eyes, all of which was very difficult to see being his long black hair. His body was covered in the slime of the swamp, and it was slowly dripping down his face as he gave a serpentine smile.

Hayate needed no formal introduction, as before Naruto could warn him, he charged at their enemy. The creepy looking man only smiled even wider as he extended his right arm towards the approaching knight. Shockingly, three snakes shot out of his sleeve and wrapped themselves around Hayate's body holding him in place. Realizing the danger his comrade was in, Naruto was about to rush forward when something utterly appalling happened. Dozens of tiny slimly black snakes rose from the water of the swamp and began to slither up Hayate's legs. They eventually moved up towards his face, and in a disgusting turn of events, entered his mouth.

Afterward, the snake-like man retracted the larger snakes from Hayate's body, and the Royal Guardsman immediately collapsed onto his knees attempted to vomit his guts out. Sadly, nothing came out, and he was left as a gagging mess. Naruto was about to order his comrades to attack, but was interrupted as the water of the swamp began to shift. Suddenly, a gigantic serpent, roughly twenty-five feet in length burst from the water and hissed at them.

"My name is Orochimaru," the man greeted. "I apologize for the trouble this has caused you, but I wanted to meet 'Naruto the Undefeated' in person, and I can't say I was disappointed," he said while staring directly at Naruto. "I like that look in your eye, it intrigues me to no end."

He began the slow and creepy process of sinking back into the ground. However, right before his head was fully submerged, he spoke to Naruto once more, "Oh, and in advance," he said with a foreboding grin. "You're welcome."

There wasn't much to time ponder the meaning of Orochimaru's final words as the massive snake coiled before lunging towards the group. They were all agile enough to dodge, all but Hayate. However, weirdly enough, the snake didn't seem to have any interest in devouring the coughing knight. For a creature of such an insane size, it was incredibly swift, which made for quite the predator.

As it attempted to strike Naruto, Daiki managed to land deep gash with his claws before being knocked back. Naruto used the momentary distraction to land another blow, as he was able to cut the snake pretty badly with his sword. It hissed in pain before lurching back. Suddenly, three throwing knives were lodged in its head, courtesy of Sai, but its scales prevented them from doing too much damage.

The creature was injured, but still far from being killed. It whipped around the swamp before attempting to devour Naruto once more, since the blonde seemed to be its primary target. In a showing of impressive speed, Itachi placed himself before the snake and his Commander, and impaled its head into the ground with his sword. The reptilian foe was killed instantly, as the Itachi managed to pierce its brain.

Naruto then made sure Daiki was alright, while Sai helped Hayate into a standing position. Then, just to be safe, Temari went to work at severing the snake's head. Itachi finally allowed himself to collapse onto his butt as he took in several gasps of breath. For the past hour, they had all been on the precipice of death.

However, he couldn't stop himself for relishing the pounding of his heart in his chest. It seemed that a battlefield was where he truly belonged.

 **~End~**

 **(Brief Character Bios)**

 **Name:** Naruto Uzumaki

 **Titles:** Lord of House Uzumaki, and Duke of Whirlpool

 **Nicknames:** 'Naruto the Undefeated' and 'The Deadliest Man in the World'

 **Age:** 19

 **Height:** 5'9" or 180 cm

 **Weight:** 145 lbs or 66 kg

 **Appearance:** (Look at the Cover Image to see Naruto's face) Naruto has fare, flawless skin and bright blonde hair, which people often compared to the Sun, and his face is described as having a sort of feminine beauty. In battle he wears elegant silver armor with a flowing crimson cape, and during formal events, he wears black pants, which he tucks into a pair of black leather boots. Above his waist, he wears an almost sky-blue silk tunic under a dark blue unbuttoned justacorps coat (long, knee-length coat) that widened at the cuffs and cuts just above his knees. The buttons of his coat are made of gold, which only highlights his elegance. He wields an elegant saber blade that he names _Destiny's Song_.

 **Personality:** Naruto is tough to understand, and is purposefully made to be an enigmatic character. Even Itachi, Naruto's best friend, often wonders what truly motivates Naruto, or what he is thinking. Naruto can switch from being incredibly ruthless, to being almost childishly goofy in a blink of an eye, which many people can view as unnerving. The only thing about his character that is for certain, is that he has had the goal of kingship since childhood, and will do anything to reach it.

 **Stats:** (Intelligence 100/100) (Battle Strategy 100/100) (Political Savvy 91/100) (Swordsmanship 97/100) (Charisma 100/100) (Dexterity 96/100) (Speed 96/100) (Physical Strength 50/100) (Overall Battle Power 93/100)

* * *

 **Name:** Itachi

 **Titles:** Heir of House Uchiha (Former), Second in Command to Lord Naruto Uzumaki (Current)

 **Nicknames:** 'Itachi the Black Crow'

 **Age:** 24

 **Height:** 5'8" or 178 cm

 **Weight:** 147 lbs or 67 kg

 **Appearance:** Itachi has onyx eyes under which are long, pronounced tear-troughs. He has jet-black hair that is pulled back in a low ponytail, and his face is framed with center-parted bangs that extended to his chin. Itachi is noted to be incredibly beautiful, as it is said that his looks are second only to Naruto Uzumaki; only due to the blonde's supernatural charm and charisma.

 **Personality:** Itachi's character centers around his staunch loyalty to his Commander and best friend, Naruto Uzumaki. He is five years Naruto's senior, and views him as his other younger brother, next to Sasuke. He is introverted and insightful, preferring to observe others quietly, rather than openly interacting with them.

 **Stats:** (Intelligence 100/100) (Battle Strategy 89/100) (Political Savvy 97/100) (Swordsmanship 97/100) (Charisma 50/100) (Dexterity 96/100) (Speed 96/100) (Physical Strength 70/100) (Overall Battle Power 93/100)

* * *

 **Name:** Temari

 **Titles:** Lady Temari of the Sand

 **Nicknames:** None

 **Age:** 22

 **Height:** 5'5" or 170 cm

 **Weight:** 115 lbs or 52 kg

 **Appearance:** Naruto describes her as being gorgeous, with teal eyes and sandy blonde hair, which is gathered into four consecutive pigtails. For clothing, she wears a short-sleeved, black dress that reaches down to her legs, with slits along the side, which showed a bit of her leg, which was topped off by a red sash around her waist. Underneath her dress, she wears skintight black pants and heeled boots that reached up to her knee.

 **Personality:** Temari is a prudent, stoic and blunt individual who is rarely afraid to speak her mind. However, she has a soft spot for Naruto Uzumaki, who she spends a significant amount of her time with. She hates that fact that her father has so much control over her life and wishes to be a free woman. She is skilled and intelligent, which translates to skill in both battle and political maneuvering.

 **Stats:** (Intelligence 90/100) (Battle Strategy 85/100) (Political Savvy 95/100) (Swordsmanship 86/100) (Charisma 60/100) (Dexterity 92/100) (Speed 86/100) (Physical Strength 30/100) (Overall Battle Power 87/100)

* * *

 **Name:** Sasuke Uchiha

 **Titles:** Heir of House Uchiha

 **Nicknames:** 'The Hawk'

 **Age:** 19

 **Height:** 5'9." or 182 cm

 **Weight:** 150 lbs or 68 kg

 **Appearance:** He has black eyes and spiky black hair with a blue tint, with bangs that frame his face, similarly to his brother. He is considered to be beautiful by women his age. For clothing, he wears a dark purple tunic with black pants and black boots, and for armor, he wears the classic Black Uchiha Armor.

 **Personality:** Much like his brother, Sasuke is a very stoic individual; however, he is far less tolerant of people. He could be described as stern, much like his father, however, he is honorable and kind to those that he cares about.

 **Stats:** (Intelligence 99/100) (Battle Strategy 88/100) (Political Savvy 92/100) (Swordsmanship 97/100) (Charisma 40/100) (Dexterity 96/100) (Speed 96/100) (Physical Strength 50/100) (Overall Battle Power 93/100)

* * *

 **Name:** Hiruzen Sarutobi

 **Titles:** King Regent of the Kingdom of Fire

 **Nicknames:** 'Hiruzen the Wise'

 **Age:** 75

 **Height:** 5'3" or 163 cm

 **Weight:** 120 lbs or 54 kg

 **Appearance:** The only consistent physical feature Hiruzen has displayed has been his below-average stature, all his other attributes having changed over the years: During his youth he was tan-skinned and had dark brown, spiked hair, adding a small goatee to his look after becoming King; towards the end of his life his skin is lighter, his hair is grey, his face is gaunter, and he has the wrinkles and liver spots of old age. He initially had a single line running vertically under the outer corners of each eye, which stretched down into his face as he aged until they reached his cheeks.

 **Personality:** Hiruzen is a kind wise ruler who leads his Kingdom during an ear of peace. However, some would describe him as being too soft.

 **Stats:** (Intelligence 100/100) (Battle Strategy 89/100) (Political Savvy 100/100) (Swordsmanship ?/100) (Charisma 85/100) (Dexterity ?/100) (Speed ?/100) (Physical Strength ?/100) (Overall Battle Power ?/100)

* * *

 **Name:** Tsume Inuzuka

 **Titles:** Lady of House Inuzuka

 **Nicknames:** None

 **Age:** 43

 **Height:** 5'3" or 163 cm

 **Weight:** 115.5 lbs or 51.5 kg

 **Appearance:** Tsume has an animalistic look similar to that of her son Kiba. She has long, spiky, untamed brown hair, vertical slit-like pupils, elongated canine teeth, and nails.

 **Personality:** She is a very tough and dominant woman, who would likely be described as a tomboy by those who know her. However, when attracted to someone, she is quite the seductress. She cares little about what her sexual partner wants, and only cares about pleasing herself, which was shown when she coerced Naruto Uzumaki into sex even though he didn't want it.

 **Stats:** (Intelligence 83/100) (Battle Strategy 78/100) (Political Savvy 90/100) (Swordsmanship 83/100) (Charisma 60/100) (Dexterity 86/100) (Speed 80/100) (Physical Strength 30/100) (Overall Battle Power 84/100)

 **(End of Brief Character Bios)**

 **Hope you all liked the newest chapter. It took a bit longer to write since I have been reconstructing the direction of the story a bit. This story will be extremely long, since, for those of you that are wondering, I prefer not to rush the plot.**

 **As you can see, the beginning of the chapter offered a brief view into the distant future, showing that quite a bit had changed. These flash forwards won't be frequent, in fact, this will probably be the only one that I do for the duration of this story. It just felt right as I was writing it, so I decided to keep it.**

 **Orochimaru being brought into the story also introduced the concept of magic. As I stated in a previous author's note, there is no chakra in this story. However, there is magic and supernatural beings. Not everyone will have access to magic, as the ability to use it is rather rare. In this story, magic is used much more supplementary, meaning that it is rarely used for direct combat. Essentially, don't expect mages that launch fireballs or anything like that. Expect** **subtle things like, clairvoyance, the ability to sense presences, and summoning. This story will have its own unique mythology, so expect that to be fleshed out as the chapters continue to come out.**

 **Thank you all for reading.**


	5. Chapter Five

**I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death (Robert Fulghum).**

 **The Cost of Ambition: Chapter Five**

The members of the search party were surrounding a campfire. It was evening, and they still had a few more hours of travel before they would arrive back in the Capital. The trip had been taking much longer than anticipated, since Hayate's condition was getting progressively worse as they trekked on. It had gotten to the point that he couldn't even keep himself up on his horse anymore, so now he was riding with Sai.

There wasn't much campfire talk going on, seeing as the group was still reeling from their encounter with Orochimaru. Frankly, everything about this assignment, the assassination and the trip to the swamp, were all mind-boggling. However, the creepy snake-like man definitely took the cake, as his terrifying abilities were something they hadn't expected to ever see during their lives.

"Ok," Temari said, breaking the almost painful silence. "Is anyone going to talk about what we just saw? Because I can hardly believe it myself."

"Clearly, we just encountered a silly looking snake-man," Naruto said with a conciliatory smile. "On a more important note, have you all told Daiki that you're proud of him, for all the enemies he killed during the battle? I told him that he was a good boy, but he didn't seem too impressed with my praise. I think he was expecting a compliment from you, in particular, Itachi."

Itachi looked at his Commander as if he had grown a second head. However, he wasn't surprised since he had become accustomed to Naruto's myriad of weird quirks, "I am _so_ very proud of you, Daiki," Itachi drawled in a tone that clearly relayed his exasperation.

The tiger raised his head from its sleeping position, before returning to his slumber dismissively. Nevertheless, Naruto seemed pleased with Itachi's cooperation, so he chalked it up as a success. Temari stared at Naruto for nearly ten seconds, as if trying to gauge if what she had just witnessed was real, before shaking her head. Leave it to Naruto to brush off something as crazy as a snake-human trying to kill them, in favor of coddling his pet tiger.

"I am also proud of you, Daiki," Sai said with his trademark weird-looking smile, though he was completely ignored.

"Yes, yes, we're all proud of the stupid tiger!" Temari stated in a hurried and irritated tone, which elicited a scandalized look from Naruto. "But I think we can all agree that there are more important things to discuss. For example, the creepy pale-skinned guy who was capable of rising from the mud and summoning fucking snakes!"

"I agree," Itachi commented stoically. "We've all been avoiding the subject the entire journey back, and it seems like something worth discussing, seeing as it has serious implications."

It didn't take a genius to realize that this 'Orochimaru' was an enemy to the Kingdom of Fire. Normally, one person opposing them wouldn't be too much to worry about, but this man (if he even was a human being) was clearly dangerous enough to warrant attention. Itachi wasn't sure if he controlled the creatures that lived in the swamp, but it wouldn't be a stretch if he did.

"Whoever that man was, it's clear that he isn't finished with whatever he's planning," Itachi continued. "Who knows how many of those bizarre creatures he has under control. For all we know, he could have a massive army of them prepared to strike against the Capital at a moments notice. That's not even including the fact that he can control serpents."

Naruto was about to speak, but then the pain filled groans of Hayate echoed throughout the campsite. They all went to check on their sick comrade, and were disheartened to see that his condition had worsened. His skin was pale, and the bags under his eyes were even more pronounced than usual. Next to his head was a puddle of vomit; however, it was disgusting and black, like tar.

"He cannot wait any longer," Naruto stated in a serious voice, contrasting his earlier disposition. "If we leave now, we may have a chance to get him to the healers in time."

And with that, they packed up their camp and continued at an increased pace. The night sky was actually rather gorgeous, and Itachi admired it during their journey. Occasionally, Hayate vocalized his suffering with a groan, but other than that, the evening was silent. However, in a show of skill, Sai was drawing in a small picture book, with his brush strokes being illuminated by the moonlight.

Naruto pulled up alongside him, before glancing at his drawing. It was an excellent rendition of the current landscape, with the moon and the surrounding forest, "I didn't know you were such a talented artist, Sai," Naruto complimented. Itachi had already informed him of his suspicions regarding Sai, but as a Commander, he felt like he could trust all of his subordinates.

"Thank you, Lord Naruto," Sai responded in his typical toneless voice.

"I should have asked you to paint my portrait, seeing as Takara was so expensive," Naruto joked before patting the pale teen on the back. "And I imagine you'd be much easier to deal with, right?"

Initially, Itachi thought he was seeing things. However, for a brief moment, he saw a small smile spread across Sai's face. It wasn't a lopsided grin by any means, but it was the first genuine human expression he had ever seen on the pale teen's face. Naruto continued conversing with Sai for the remainder of the trip, and near the end of it, that small smile persisted. If anyone could break through a person's shell, it was Naruto.

They decided that in order to reach the Capital faster, they would cut through a nearby village. Upon approaching it, Itachi became suspicious due to the putrid smell. The odor was something that he frequently experienced in his worst nightmares, and the expression on Naruto's face revealed that he recognized it too. "Temari," the blonde said to the oblivious woman. "How about you return to the main road with Hayate?"

"Why would I do that?" she asked. "You said that this way was quicker."

Immediately after expressing her confusion, her nose scrunched up in disgust, as she inhaled the rancid stench. They all then heard a pained moan, which they initially believed to originate from Hayate, but then realized that the source was a greater distance ahead. Naruto once again tried to convince Temari to turn back while they checked the village, but at this point, she was too determined to see what was going on. Itachi and Naruto shared a brief, dour glance before they all continued onward.

It was worse than anyone could imagine, even in their wildest dreams. Dead bodies were strewn about the village, with most of them having severed limbs. However, the image that would forever haunt their minds was at the village's center. Three large stakes were protruding from the ground, with each of them having a human body impaled upon them. They were each nude, and covered with filth and lacerations.

Two of them appeared to be dead, but one was still enduring the seemingly endless torture. Impalement was one of the most gruesome torture methods known to man. The details were a bit too disgusting to get into, but in short, it was a procedure of execution, in which a human being was penetrated by a large stake or pole. In this case, the stake was stabbed into the victim's lower body, until it was protruding from his right shoulder.

Temari looked away in disgust, an action which Itachi felt was a justified reaction to such a heinous scene. Sai looked almost completely unaffected, minus the slight frown gracing his face. Itachi looked towards Naruto, who was staring at the dying man with an intense gaze. It was moments like these where he felt as if he hardly knew Naruto, since he had no idea what was going through the blonde's head.

"Sir," Naruto addressed calmly, getting the tortured man's attention. "Who did this to you?"

The man opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. It was at this moment that they realized he had suffered elinguation (cutting out of the tongue). No amount of experience during war could prepare a person to witness such a nauseating view into the depths of human depravity. This was what happened in the world outside the safety of castles and city walls, people showed their true colors, and the innocent were the ones who suffered.

"There is no weakness in requesting a merciful death," Naruto continued. "Nod if you wish for your suffering to end."

Understandably, with what little strength he could muster, the man nodded his head. Naruto then unsheathed his saber before riding his horse closer to the man and stabbing him through the chest. The man's eyes widened as he took his last breath. He was in too much pain to be thankful for an end to his suffering, but Itachi could only hope that he was on his way to a better place.

"We'll need to dispose of these bodies, at the very least to preserve their dignity," Naruto said before turning towards Temari. "While we take care out that, I'll need you to ride with Hayate to the Capital. Make sure he is taken to the healers at once, we should arrive soon after you."

This time, Temari made no objection, and was off in around a minute. Once they were left behind, Sai and Itachi went to work removing the stakes from the ground while Naruto searched for any clues regarding the individuals responsible. During his search, he found only the signs of the lives the residents of the village had lived, before they were massacred like animals. Seeing things such as old meals still sitting on dinner tables, or children's toys scattered about, made the entire situation seem even more real.

Naruto finally cracked under the weight of the atrocity he had just bore witness to, as his eyes widened exponentially and the pace of his breathing increased drastically. However, he immediately placed a closed fist against his mouth to silence his sounds of anguish and calm his nerves. He looked over his shoulder to make sure Sai and Itachi weren't watching him, and was relieved to discover that they hadn't witnessed his brief loss of composure. It was tough, constantly maintaining his infallible facade, seeing as he was flawed just like any other person. However, he had a responsibility not only to his men, but also to his ambition, and there was no time for him to air out his suffering in the open. Besides, what was his pain compared to that of these poor villagers? He took a deep breath before his signature calm expression returned to his face.

The burden of leadership was a heavy one to bear.

 **~Break~**

When they finally returned to the Capital, Temari informed them of Hayate's condition. Sadly, things weren't looking good, as the healers were completely baffled. Apparently, they had never treated an individual suffering from such symptoms, and now all they could do was try to lessen the pain. For once, when traveling through the crowded streets, Naruto drew the hood of his brown traveling cloak over his head. Itachi was a bit confused, but then realized that even his Commander would need some down time after such a stressful few days. Normally, Naruto was a willing magnet for attention, but even he had his limits.

In truth, Itachi was also significantly affected by what he had just witnessed. During wartime, Naruto made sure that his men didn't conduct themselves like animals. Sure, there was the occasional drunk soldier trying to force themselves on a woman, but Naruto punished such behavior severely. Therefore, much of the crushing violence of war was shielded from Itachi's eyes. Sure he had witnessed death, but that was different from seeing men being impaled and tortured to death on stakes. It almost made him forget about the whole Orochimaru debacle, which seemed almost pleasant in comparison.

"Itachi," Naruto said, getting his friend's attention. "Go home and rest, you've earned it."

Itachi was about to say that he didn't need rest, but his Commander briskly rode away before he could even get a word out. He could have been wrong, but Naruto had seemed particularly rattled at what they had seen in the village. During their journey back to the Capital, he hadn't said a word, and the smile he had plastered across his face was almost as fake as Sai's. Now, he had a feeling that he was being sent home because Naruto wanted to be left alone.

And with that, Itachi made the slow walk back to his home. His mind was plagued with the disgusting imagery he had been forced to witness over these past few days, and he knew that a lesser man wouldn't be able to get any sleep after such an experience. However, he refused to pity himself, since Hayate was suffering from a strange illness, with no recovery in sight. Had they been faster in saving him from Orochimaru's clutches, he would be back to his usual coughing self.

It didn't take long for Itachi to lay down on his bed after making it home. He stared at his ceiling in intense contemplation. It was barely noticeable, but Naruto was slowly changing bit by bit. Whether it be the death of his parents, the tragic end of his wife Hinata, or perhaps even the war, everything that happened in the blond Uzumaki's life had affected him tremendously. Nobody was better at hiding their pain than Naruto, but Itachi had become adept at reading his Commander's true feelings. During his pondering, Itachi's eyes flickered shut until he was deep into a well-deserved sleep.

 _It was early morning, with the sun shining high, as if it were the gaze of a god, bearing witness to the spectacle below. Two armies had just collided with one another, and the bloody slaughter had just begun. Swords were clashing, spears were thrusting, and shields were blocking. One could almost get lost in the chaos, but discipline in battle was what separated amateurs from the professionals._

 _Some would argue that being a good soldier required an insatiable lust for battle, and in some cases, a death wish. However, contrary to what many believed, war was all about survival. Sure, armies marched and fought in the name of a ruler, but once that first arrow flew through the air, the thudding of cavalry charges echoed about, and swords started piercing flesh, the only thing that mattered was staying alive._

 _Itachi was heaving in precious gasps of breath as he gazed upon the destruction around him. His eyes scanned the battlefield, and he saw an enemy soldier with his back facing him, and he raised his sword before piercing the man in the neck, where there was a gap in his armor. Suddenly, a horse shot by, narrowly missing the former Uchiha heir. At any moment he could die, and it only made him want to live even more._

 _The circumstances of this day were as important as the battle itself, since context was always needed to tell a good story. They were in the Land of Grass, on the orders of King Hiruzen himself. The Land of Grass had always been an aggressive military power, and when they began attacking merchants traveling from the Kingdom of Fire, the King took action. He sent one of his up incoming Commanders, Naruto Uzumaki, to resolve the issue. The blonde was regarded as a green nose, with quite a bit of talent, but not a lot of experience. However, he was mostly known for being the bastard son of the now deceased Minato Namikaze, so in spite of the importance of the battles ahead, many people were hoping for him to fail._

 _The opposing force was much larger than they had expected, so Naruto devised a strategy to stretch the conflict into multiple hit and run skirmishes, rather than long, drawn-out battles. Tactics such as night attacks on camps, skirmish cavalry attacks, and the sacking of enemy supply shipments were used to weaken their opponents as much as possible. This went on for three months, and the soldiers of the Grass Country began referring to their blonde invader as 'Naruto the Dishonorable' which to Naruto was nothing, considering how tame the insult was compared to the ones he received at home on a regular basis._

 _However, Naruto was smart enough to realize that at least one or two big battles would be needed to end this ridiculous conflict, and he hoped they_ _would result in a successful end to his first military campaign. Since he'd known him for so long, Itachi very confident in their chances of victory, since nobody had more faith in Naruto than he did._

 _One week ago, they were presented with a battle scenario, similarly to how they were_ _today. The enemy had the superior numbers and the advantage of the high ground. So in order to make the opposing army_ _think their enemy had been weakened, each night, Naruto ordered his soldiers to light less and less fires in their encampment, to make it look like his men were deserting. Therefore, during the fight, the Grass soldiers would assume they were going up against a much smaller fighting force. The plan worked, as the Army of Grass' general_ _sent only half of his troops instead, which in the end resulted in a much more even fight. Naruto's forces won easily, and slaughtered over half of their enemies._

 _And then there was today, a fight Naruto said would end it all. Their enemies would be much more cautious now, since for the past few months they had been utterly outclassed by Naruto in just about every facet of military strategy. For once, Naruto said that clever tactics wouldn't win the day, and that they'd have to achieve victory the old-fashioned way, which was why Itachi found himself fighting in a massive infantry engagement on flat ground. Sure, Naruto had utilized proper troop positioning, but truthfully, the circumstances didn't allow for anything too sophisticated, so now was the time for Naruto's men to win him the day, rather than the usual other way around._

 _In truth, Naruto's army had become accustomed to his brilliant strategies. Their Commander was intelligent in the way he chose his battles, and did so in a method that made him arguably the most brilliant strategist in the world. He almost always dictated the terms of the engagement, and just as often knew the result of the battle before it even started. However, today, it was two opposing armies, both similar in size and strength and with no particular advantages over the other. This was how battles had been fought for centuries, and it was now time for Naruto's men to prove their worth._

 _Itachi saw a man attacking him in his peripheral vision and prepared to defend. However, his enemy was quickly gutted by a man he recognized as Yamato. The veteran of Naruto's Army nodded towards Itachi before jumping back into the fray. It was nice knowing that he could trust his life in the hands of others, and he hoped that every one of his comrades had the same amount of faith in him._

 _The tide of battle was beginning to turn in their favor, and Itachi knew that eventually, they would win. While this way of fighting was much more costly, it would definitely_ _make the soldiers on the winning army feel very proud of themselves, knowing that they won through sheer strength of will. However, in spite of such positive developments, Itachi was a bit nervous, since he hadn't seen his Commander in a while, as at some point he had_ _lost sight of Naruto in the pandemonium._

 _As he continued to press onward, he saw one of his comrades get_ _knocked to the ground. They were below average in terms of height, especially for male, which was probably why they had been overpowered in the first place. At that moment, Itachi concluded that he was probably a young teenage boy. However, when the kid's helmet was knocked from his head, Itachi was shocked to realize that it wasn't a boy at all, but a young woman, which explained the_ _small frame. He quickly navigated through enemies and allies alike in order to save her from the inevitable death laid out before her._

 _A very burly man had a mace raised over his head, prepared to crush her skull like a melon. However, before he could even manage an attempt, the woman was shocked to see a sword pierce through his head. The now dead man collapsed soon after, and she was shocked to see Itachi Uchiha looming over her. At least that was what Itachi thought she was thinking, based on her facial expression._

" _L-Lord Itachi," she said, though it could barely be heard over the sounds of war._

He grabbed the woman by her wrist and pulled her to her feet. She was rather beautiful, and he estimated that she was close to himself in terms of age. She had long brown hair with bangs framing her face and onyx eyes, with a mole under her right eye. Something welled up in his chest, and he was speechless as he _finally recognized her._

" _Izumi?" he asked._

 _She was a member of his House, though her standing wasn't that high. He never expected to see a female on a battlefield, especially not one of such noble status. It was clear that Izumi was nervous about having been found out, and in truth, Itachi was unsure about what he was going to do. However, he was shocked when she brandished her sword and plunged it towards him, in what he initially thought was an attempt to prevent him from telling anyone about what he had seen. But rather than feeling the pain of a blade piercing his flesh, the weapon passed harmlessly over his shoulder. He turned his head and saw that she had killed an enemy, one that had been prepared to stab him_ _in the back._

 _He turned towards her, his eyes widened in surprise. She then smiled nervously, "I suppose we're even now," she said._

 _Before he could even formulate a response, the battlefield turned eerily quiet, and the two Uchiha's looked around to see what had happened. Their curiosity was satisfied when they saw their Commander, wearing his signature armor, riding his white stallion. There wasn't a mark of any kind on him at all, as he was the only person on the battlefield that was completely clean. However, it wasn't just his appearance that garnered the attention of both friend and foe._

 _In Naruto's right hand, was the head of the enemy general, which he had raised up for everyone to see. The expression on the severed head was that of agony, which pretty much showed that the general hadn't died a pleasant death. When looking around, Itachi noticed the looks of anguish and hopelessness pass over the enemy faces upon seeing their leader's severed head, and he immediately realized Naruto's strategy._

" _Your general is dead," he said in a voice that commanded respect. "You are on the precipice of defeat, with nobody to lead you. Surrender now, and you will be spared. However, should any of you continue to fight, you will be slaughtered to the last man."_

 _During Naruto's speech, Itachi noticed that Izumi had put her helmet back on in order to keep her identity a secret from any wandering eyes. Suddenly, the sound of hundreds of weapons being dropped to the ground could be heard as the enemy chose surrender over death, a decision Itachi couldn't blame them for. And with that, the battle was over. They got to work rounding up the prisoners, which took a few hours. Finally, they returned to camp, and everyone was celebrating. Itachi on the other hand, saw Izumi's armored form sneaking out into the forest, and he took it as his opportunity to get some answers. He followed her stealthily for a few minutes before making his move._

" _What are you doing here?" he asked from behind her, making her jump in surprise._

" _Oh, Itachi, it's you," she said while placed a hand over her armored chest. "You scared me."_

" _What are you doing here?" he asked again in a stoic voice._

 _Izumi's face scrunched up in irritation before she responded, "The same thing you're doing, fighting for my country," she spat._

" _A battlefield isn't a place for a woman," Itachi scolded. "If people were to find out what you were doing here, you'd be punished."_

" _Commander Naruto knew I was a woman, and he let me join anyway!" she countered, shocking the former Uchiha heir. "I didn't tell him my real name, but he seemed pleased with the fact that I wanted to take control of my life and fight. I thought you of all people would have been able to see it the same way!"_

 _She walked past him and back towards the camp before he could retort. However, he before he was out of earshot, he gave her an ultimatum, "When we return to the Capital you will go back to your family," he said. "The punishments for what you're doing are too severe, and I can't let you get yourself killed. So, if you don't comply with my terms, I'll report you to your father."_

 _The looked of utter loathing she shot in his direction almost made him flinch back, and with that, she continued to storm off. He spent the next few days justifying his actions to himself, but in the end, he couldn't help but feel disappointed in his behavior. He had no right to tell a person whether or not they could fight._

Itachi's eyes slowly opened once again, and he realized it was now morning. He and the remainder of the search party had arrived the previous evening, so waking up now meant that he had gotten about six hours of sleep, which wasn't bad by any means. A beam of sunlight was invading his chambers through his window, which was typically his signal to begin the day. It took him a few moments to clean himself, which he did without the assistance of any servants, seeing as he was one of the few people in nobility to not have any.

Today was going to be important, seeing as they were throwing Lady Mirai's birthday celebration. Itachi was a bit skeptical about throwing a party after all the had happened, as he imagined the young girl was still a bit rattled by the assassination attempt. The person responsible was still out there, alive and kicking, and they were going to throw a party? It was moments like these that made Itachi wonder if the aristocracy of the Capital had their priorities straight. However, he was socially obligated to attend, so he'd need to be prepared.

He just hoped things would simmer down a bit.

 **~Break~**

"There is going to be further war, gentlemen," King Hiruzen warned to his top military commanders.

Lady Mirai's party had been going on for about thirty minutes, and so far it was a rather successful affair. The event was still in its beginning stages, where the guests mingled in the ballroom before gifts were presented, and then the feasting and dancing began. Itachi was standing next to Naruto when their King called them to the balcony to speak in private. As they arrived, they realized that something big was going to happen when they saw Lords Fugaku, Hiashi, and Shikaku as well. It was easy to understand what this meeting would be about, seeing as these were all the top commanders of the Army of Fire.

Shikaku sighed, "I knew it was inevitable," he said. "The issue with the Kingdom of Lightning will never be resolved, so long as we continue to let them regain their strength in their homeland. Even after the casualties they suffered, they still have a respectable standing army prepared for combat."

"We must quell any hostilities now, while they are weakened," Hiashi added, which wasn't surprising seeing as his province was at the border of Fire Country and Lightning Country. "For years the rulers of Lightning have been war mongers, clamoring for more power. If we don't put them in their place now, we will only have another war on our horizon."

It was sad, but also very true. Itachi had never been one for war, as he abhorred violence and bloodshed. However, he couldn't ignore the small part of him that was excited to learn that he would be returning to the battlefield. No doubt the King would send Naruto to the front lines, and by extension, Itachi as well.

"We will invade them by sea, as it is the best point of attack," Hiruzen continued, before then turning to Naruto. "Lord Naruto, however, will invade by land, from the south. It will divide their already weakened army, forcing them to fight on two fronts. Eventually, we will all converge on their capital city."

It was going to be particularly hellish for Naruto and his men. It would take months of vicious fighting to reach the capital, and it was a tall order, even for 'Naruto the Undefeated'. No doubt the people of Lightning Country wouldn't welcome them with opened arms, so they'd likely be contending against civilian militia as well as experienced, organized armies. However, this assignment only proved that Hiruzen had the utmost faith in Naruto, since, for most, this would be considered a suicide mission.

Fugaku, Hiashi, and Shikaku left, but Naruto and Itachi were asked to stay behind. Hiruzen turned around, and observed the city that he ruled over. Itachi pondered what such staggering responsibility must feel like, and wondered how someone of such advanced age would be capable of enduring such a life. This would be the fifth major war during Hiruzen's time as King Regent, all of which resulted in victories for their Kingdom. So suffice to say, Hiruzen was probably the most successful ruler to ever live, which was ironic, seeing as he was only viewed as a placeholder for the next monarch.

"Naruto," he said informally, now that they were in private. "The task I have given you is not an easy one, and I don't envy your current position. However, know that I wouldn't put you in such a situation if I didn't know that you were the very best man that I have. Not only does your history of military victory lend credence to your aptitude for battle, but your name carries tremendous weight now as well. The Kingdom of Lighting will learn that you are leading the invasion against them, and quake in fear. There is no other Commander in our military that could elicit such a response from our enemies."

"Hopefully I can prove that your faith in me is well placed, your Grace," Naruto stated courteously.

Hiruzen nodded solemnly, and then turned towards the man he considered to be his grandson, "You will hate me for this, of that I am certain," he said. "However, I must ask that you do not merely show the enemy defeat. In order the extinguish the flames of war, you must annihilate them beyond repair. Your primary objective is to defeat them, true; however, I need you to show them the true meaning of wrath, my boy."

For this request, he received no vocal confirmation, only a formal military salute. This campaign would be a burden for Naruto, as he would have to serve as the administrator of near-apocalyptic punishment. The people of Lightning Country were known for being fierce and sturdy people, so it would take a brutal commander to bring them to heel. Naruto was by no means a pacifist, but he never cared for needless chaos, as he always found a way to end battles with minimal casualties.

After formally dismissing himself, Naruto, in his formal wear, reentered the party, though he was notably more subdued than the other attendees. That was Naruto's way, at least how Itachi looked at it. He would mingle with, and present himself in a manner befitting one of noble birth, but deep down he was a soldier, and nothing more. Near the back of the ballroom, Lady Mirai could be seen, alongside her mother, Kurenai Sarutobi. Kurenai was one of the most beautiful women in the entire Kingdom, second only to the likes of Tsunade Senju, who was said to have been the most gorgeous woman to ever live.

Lady Mirai shared her mother's beauty, though she clearly still had much growing to do. Her black hair was unruly, reaching the base of her neck, and she had red, ringed eyes, both of which she inherited from her mother. However, for the most part, she strongly resembled her father, having inherited the shape of his face and his features. Her eyes scanned over the party, and when they landed on Naruto, her face lit up with glee, and she left her mother's side, and despite the older woman's protests, scurried towards the object of her attention.

"Naruto!" she greeted once she was within arms distance of him; however, she then corrected herself. "Or is it 'Lord' Naruto now, Mr. Duke of Whirlpool?"

"You can call me whatever you like, my Lady," Naruto answered pleasantly, as if he hadn't just been told he would soon be spearheading a brutal invasion of a foreign land. "It is, after all, your birthday. I suppose if any day can serve as the exception for formality, this one would suffice."

The younger girl's smile was all Itachi needed to know that she was head over heels for Naruto. It didn't come as a surprise, seeing as Naruto was currently every teenage girl's wet dream, and Mirai had known him personally for all of her life. No doubt Naruto was the source of extreme admiration for her, and as she entered puberty, she likely realized just how beautiful he truly was, both inside and out. However, she was much too young, and Itachi doubted Naruto even noticed her infatuation, as he likely viewed it as friendly, perhaps even sisterly, affection.

"I heard that you have been spending time with the Lord of Wind Country's daughter," Mirai then asked, clearly worried about the context of their relationship. "She's not your betrothed, is she?"

Naruto smiled, seemingly unaware of the younger girl's concern, "Her father has made no mention of such an arrangement," he clarified, much to Mirai's relief. "However, I have come to appreciate her presence nonetheless. The culture of her homeland is quite intriguing, and her personality is rather fiery."

Itachi sighed at the obvious look of jealousy that passed over Mirai's face. Thankfully, however, before she could continue the subtle interrogation, her mother came over and dragged her away to fulfill her responsibilities as the birthday girl. As she did so, she and Naruto shared brief, cold, eye contact, with her crimson orbs starting directly into this cerulean ones. Kurenai was much savvier than her husband Asuma, and realized that Naruto desired the throne that she believed to be her husband's birthright. At the same time, Naruto realized this, and regarded her as an obstacle, though not to the point where he would wish for any harm to come to her.

Mirai seemed disappointed, but going against her mother's wishes was unacceptable, so she complied, and went along greeting all of the other guests, thanking them for attending. Naruto smiled while watching her. He remembered the days in which she would call him 'blondie' and now, here she was, growing into a woman. Having never been blessed with any siblings of his own, the pride he felt welling up in his chest was how he imagined an older brother would feel upon witnessing their little sibling's growth.

Naruto then glanced over his shoulder, and looked towards his loyal right-hand man, and his smile widened even more. He admired Itachi's dedication, but at the same time, he didn't want to keep his best friend from enjoying himself, "Itachi, why is it that I always have to force you to have any fun?" he asked. "Go out and enjoy the party. There is no need for you to watch over me like a hawk."

"Someone has to; otherwise you'll get into trouble," Itachi joked, before getting deadly serious. "Besides, should we really be attending a party, knowing what the next few days will bring? We'll need to prepare the men, so that they're aware of what they're marching into."

Naruto smiled his signature knowing smile before placing his hand on Itachi's shoulder, "You are correct, the coming days will involve copious amounts of death and bloodshed. Which is exactly why we should enjoy a peaceful evening such as this, as it will be quite some time before we are back in the Capital."

"Very well," Itachi said, but then paused as he experienced the shock of his life.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the black-haired woman, approaching Naruto with a sheathed sword in her hand. Guards attempted to stop her, but Naruto halted their advance, as he didn't view her as a threat. The woman's father tried to stop her, but he was completely ignored. Most didn't know who she was, but Itachi was immediately able to recognize her, and he was certain Naruto did too. Though, the blonde Lord didn't know her actual name.

"Izumi?" Itachi whispered to himself in surprise. Was it a coincidence that he just so happened to have a dream last night entirely centered around her?

In a shocking display, she kneeled, unsheathed her sword and held it out towards Naruto with both hands, as her head was bowed towards the ground. It was a standard gesture used by knights and warriors when they swore loyalty to a nobleman, but never in history had a woman done it before. Izumi's father looked incredibly embarrassed, as his daughter was foolishly attempting to swear her sword to one of the most powerful Lords in the Kingdom.

"What's this?" Naruto asked politely, though it was clear that he too was surprised at the turn of events.

Izumi looked up towards the Duke of Whirlpool, with an expression that made Itachi raise an eyebrow. There was quite a bit that could be deciphered from her face and eyes. The most visible emotion she was exuding was absolute conviction, as her eyes held the steely gaze of a seasoned warrior. However, there was also a tender nervousness to her, and it reminded Itachi just how outlandish her current display was. She could very easily be punished for what she was attempting.

"My Lord," she said, with a passion laced voice. "I understand if you do not remember me, for we knew one another quite some time ago. However, today I kneel here before you, because I have a goal, no, an ambition, to serve my country. I want to fight for what I love."

Naruto nodded appreciatively, as there was probably nobody out there that could understand a person's outlandish ambition more than him. Much like Izumi, Naruto had gone his entire life being told that he would never achieve his goals, which was why it was so shocking that he has achieved such high social standing. In fact, Itachi had little doubt that Naruto's recent promotion to Duke was what motivated Izumi to finally take a stand, or in this case a knee, for her beliefs.

The young Uchiha woman swallowed a lump in her throat before continuing, "I know how to wield this sword that I hold before you today; however, for my entire life, I have been prevented from using it for a real purpose. Today, I wish to rectify that mistake, if you would graciously allow me the opportunity. You serve as an inspiration for those who feel as though their goals are unreachable. It is for that reason, and many others, that I desire to swear myself to you, in sword, body, and soul, until the day that I take my last breath."

The room was then filled with many scandalized whispers, and it was clear that most in the room weren't taking Izumi very seriously. However, in spite of this, Naruto never broke eye contact with her. There was a slight nervous trembling in her hands, and it was making her sword shake a bit, as she hoped and prayed that the blonde Lord would accept her. She knew that it was a tall order, as many would disapprove of his decision, if he did decide to take her into his army. Izumi glanced towards her father, and saw the appalled look on his face, though, for once in her life she couldn't bring herself to care what he thought. At this moment, there was only one person whose opinion mattered.

"What you are asking for is against tradition, and would be in violation of your societal role as a woman," Naruto stated impassively, almost causing tears to build up in her eyes as she believed her request was being denied. "However, from one long shot to another, I think that there is a place for someone such as yourself in my army, and at my side. So, the honor would be mine."

His reply was only met by shocked silence, not just from Izumi, but from everyone. Most were wondering if what was occurring was even allowed, but none would dare speak against a Duke. Itachi's response was a bit more conflicted, as he was happy for her, but at the same time, felt that this was only going to do more harm than good. This would be the second member of House Uchiha to pledge themselves to Naruto, and eventually, people would start to ask questions.

Suddenly, the silence was broken as the sound of a sword clanking against the ground could be heard. Izumi's eyes were wet with tears of elation, and she rose from the floor and wrapped her arms around her new Lord in an embrace, repeating the words 'thank you' over and over. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, and he initially didn't return the hug. However, he soon patted her awkwardly on the back, explaining that her gratitude was unnecessary.

Itachi observed the crowd, noting that while most seemed taken aback, some seemed happy for the young lady. In fact, King Hiruzen didn't appear to object, with his grandfatherly smile never leaving his face. Lady Mirai looked to be a bit disgruntled, likely viewing Izumi as competition, but in the end, she was too good-natured to appear angry. However, across the room stood the guests from Sand Country, with Temari looking particularly irritated. It seemed that Naruto served as the source for a vast amount of female affection, and Itachi was glad to let him have it. Better to let someone else deal with the drama associated with it.

Eventually, Izumi realized the strangeness of her behavior, and stumbled back to pick up her sword before returning it to its sheath. Her cheeks were flushed, and as she stood back up her eyes were glued to the floor. Finally, the crowd of guests began mingling once more, the violin music continued, and Izumi was no longer the subject of everyone's attention. Naruto walked towards her, until he was in arms reach, before lifting her chin so that he could look into her eyes.

"I never forget a face," he said with a smile before walking away, leaving her astounded in the middle of the ballroom. It was clear that he remembered her from when she secretly served in his army so long ago.

Itachi approached her, unsure of what to say to his new comrade. After all, he was responsible for making her leave Naruto's army in the first place, so she probably still held him in low regard. That was only proven to be true when she gave him a hateful glare, as she turned and walked back into the crowd of people, refusing to share words with him. As he waited alone in the sea of bodies, all he could do was frown as his past mistake was just thrown back into his face.

However, his eyes soon gained a determined glow, as he internally swore to make it right.

 **~Break~**

Temari stood at her father's side, already a bit miffed at the events of this evening. She was still reeling over the battle with Orochimaru, and the massacre of the civilian village, but had little choice of whether or not to attend Lady Mirai's party. Honestly, she had never met Mirai, so it mattered little that the girl was turning fourteen. However, a part of her was a bit excited, as she knew that Naruto would most certainly be there. So imagine her surprise when there were absolutely zero opportunities for her to even speak with him.

She had no delusions regarding his importance, as he was a Duke, and therefore, one of the most influential men in the most powerful Kingdom on the planet. But still, it was rather annoying to watch person after person taking up all of his time, in particular women. Even the married women were clamoring to speak with him, and Temari was wondering when one of them would be bold enough to make their true intentions clear and take Naruto in the middle of the ballroom. She realized that Naruto was accomplished, attractive, and as of recently, incredibly wealthy, but it was beginning to make him seem like less of a human being. When she met him, he still had that otherworldly air about him, but he was still approachable. However, now it seemed as if he was on an entirely different tier than everyone else, including her.

Watching Lady Mirai, and then the wannabe soldier Izumi fawn over him in front of everyone almost made Temari want to vomit. Nonetheless, it was the superficial nature of all the attraction that angered her the most. When she had first entered the Capital, everyone seemed to hate Naruto, and now, he was the new cake that everyone wanted a piece of. Half of these women wouldn't have even glanced in his direction a year ago due to his 'lowly' status, even though he was the exact same person that he was now, just without the fancy title. They didn't desire Naruto the person, they desired the Duke of Whirlpool, and all the benefits his newfound reputation would bring.

She watched him pretend to be interested during a conversation with several noblewomen. His typical polite smile was adorning his face, and he would feign intrigue by nodding his head every few moments. However, Temari's skin crawled, as every time he would utter even a single word, the women would giggle as if it were the most impressive joke they had ever heard. They were so artificial, programmed by society to appear ideal to the eyes of men, who for the most part desired submissive and complacent wives.

Eventually, the gift-giving ceremony began, and it ran rather smoothly. Afterward, Lady Mirai requested to have a dance with Naruto, who unsurprisingly accepted. As they danced, Temari briefly imagined herself in the place of the younger Sarutobi girl, and actually balked at the idea that she was jealous of a fourteen-year-old child. In the time it took for her to realize the ridiculousness of her enviousness, the dance had already ended. Naruto, in a polite gesture, placed a small kiss on Mirai's hand, causing her to blush up a storm.

And with that, Temari's anger was back in full force, and even greater than before. She distinctly remembered the day she met Naruto, and how he kissed her hand in an almost identical fashion. In truth, the action had made her feel rather special, and seeing Naruto pass it along to another woman, no matter the age, made her blood boil. Ever since she had met the blonde bastard, she had denied her true feelings for him, but now she realized that she wouldn't be nearly as upset if she were merely infatuated with him. No, it was something more.

Those were the thoughts bouncing around chaotically in her mind as she prepared for bed. The party had ended not too long ago, with her leaving earlier than most, since she had lost any desire for fun or socialization. When she left, she noticed that Naruto watched her exit with a disappointed gaze, but figured he'd be fine, since he already had so many other women clamoring for his attention. She acknowledged that her melancholy was rather childish, but knowing that didn't make her hurt any less.

Temari stared at her ceiling, unable to sleep as her nightgown clung to her body. The moonlight and the tree branches outside of her window created eerie looking shadows, ones that she couldn't tear her gaze away from. However, she practically jumped from her bed when the shadow of a humanoid figure became visible, followed by a distinct tapping on her windowpane. She reached under her pillow, and grabbed the hilt of a small dagger before slowly rising out of bed. As her bare feet stealthily padded across her bedroom floor, her heart pounded in her chest.

However, once she was able to identify the figure, she sighed in relief before allowing them entry. Naruto quietly hopped into her room with an infuriatingly pleasant smile, almost as if he were unable to understand the abnormality of his late-night visit. He was still wearing the same clothing he wore at the party, and he looked admittedly beautiful as the moonlight shined directly on him, making him appear more deity than man.

"Pardon my intrusion, but your early exit this evening troubled me," he said with a smile as he walked about her room, observing it in detail. "I was hoping that we would have been able to spend some time together tonight, so you can only imagine my disappointment upon witnessing your departure."

Temari scoffed at the comment, and before thinking, responded, "Yes, I can imagine it now; but thankfully you had plenty of other women to choose from."

Naruto turned back towards her with a raised brow, "I didn't want to spend my evening with a woman, I wanted to spend it with THE woman, as in you. And while I agree that there were quite a few ladies at the party, none of them are as exceptional as you, are they?"

Temari was unable to respond as Naruto quickly closed the distance between them, until their noses were practically touching. For her, everything froze, and she was beginning to wonder if what she was experiencing was a dream. However, she knew that it was real when she felt him softly place one of his hands behind her neck, as he pulled her in for a kiss. It was completely unexpected, but not unwelcome, as she did nothing to stop him. It was the first kiss of her life, and it was given to her by the first man who had ever captured so much of her attention.

Things progressed exceedingly quickly from there, and ended with the two of them, unclothed underneath the bedsheets. She was laying on his bare chest, and as she looked up towards his sleeping face, she finally acknowledged the truth behind the feelings she held for this man.

She most certainly loved him.

 **~End~**

 **The chapter took a bit longer than expected to write, seeing as I've been sick for the past few days. Personally, I'm not satisfied with the quality of this chapter, but I had trouble getting into it as much as I usually do, due to the discomfort of my condition, so I'll understand if you all are a bit disappointed as well. Know that in my next update, you will see a return in the quality I have presented in the past. All in all, I'm happy to have finally gotten this chapter over with, so I can move on to the next one, which will be very exciting.**

 **Next chapter will mark the beginning of Naruto's invasion of The Kingdom of Lightning, and I'm excited to write the many intricate and detailed battles that come with it.**


	6. Chapter Six

**I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell. (William Tecumseh Sherman).**

 **The Cost of Ambition: Chapter Six**

It was a chilly day, the type that felt as though the wind was attempting to chip away at people's bones. Mixed with the cold air was a foreboding feeling, an underlying tone of danger that made even the bravest of men tense anxiously. The people of Northwich knew something dangerous was coming, and they were fairly certain as to what the 'something' was. Parents forced their children to stay within the confines of the village, and never allowed them to wander after dark. However, that didn't mean that all the children listened.

"This is a bad idea, Tazawa," a young boy by the name of Araya whispered as they navigated through the hills that bordered their town.

"I agree," the only girl in the group, Niwa added. "My mom told me that the bad men are coming."

Tazawa scoffed at what he viewed as cowardice. Of course the 'bad men' were coming, that was why he decided to come out here in the first place. He looked down at the slingshot he carried in his right and, and clenched on the handle tightly. If the invaders were going to try to hurt his village and family, then he would do the same to them, before they were allowed the chance to even make such an attempt.

"Shut up, you guys," Tazawa countered harshly, making his friends flinch. "How can you sit around at home all day when our lands are being ravaged by our enemies?"

Things were bleak, as news of neighboring villages being ransacked, and militia being slaughtered was becoming the norm. It was like the scary stories that they had been told as children, where the monsters would come down from the mountains to slaughter the innocent. However, even at such a young age, Tazawa was coming to realize that the real world was much more terrifying than any tale could ever be. Still, one could argue that their invaders were monsters, which was the overall consensus among the people of Lightning Country.

As they navigated the rocky hills, they were forced to duck as twelve armored men, riding on horseback could be seen resting in the valley. By their steel armor, it was clear that they weren't any of the local militia, which could only mean that they were the enemy. They were conversing with each other, and the pleasant smiles on their faces made Tazawa's stomach churn. In anger, he pulled back on his slingshot and prepared to fire; however, he was stopped by who he assumed to be Niwa, who gripped his wrist surprisingly tightly for a little girl.

Tazawa turned to scold the girl for her cowardliness, but was shocked to see that she was not the person restraining him. It was a young man, clothed in armor identical to those of the people on the horses. He had incredibly pale skin, straight black hair, and a completely fake smile plastered across his face. There were two men behind him, each holding Niwa and Araya as if they were merely sack of potatoes.

"My my," the pale man spoke up casually. "It seems that the resistance is getting younger and younger every day."

"...Shit," was the only thing Tazawa could mutter say before he too was captured.

 **~Break~**

Tazawa struggled the entire way, even as he and his friends were being carried through the enemy camp. The number of tents decorating the area seemed infinite, and upon realizing just how vast in number the invaders were, he stopped resisting and remained quiet. There was no way the resistance could stand up against an army so massive, especially since the enemy leader was supposedly some kind of demigod of war. He went by many names, with 'Naruto the Undefeated' being the most popular. However, in their Lighting Country, there was only one name for him, with that being 'Naruto the Terrible', due to his rumored ruthlessness.

They were eventually brought into the largest tent in the entire camp, and were plopped on the floor, with little care for their wellbeing. It took them a while for them to get a good understanding of their surroundings, which were admittedly intimidating. The tent was lit by candles, and was decorated with furniture fit for a King. Tazawa, Niwa, and Araya were peasants, so this was the first time they had encountered such high value items, and for a moment the awe made them forget the danger.

"Sai? What are you doing here, and who are these children," a stoic voice asked, causing Tazawa to shift his attention to the back of the tent.

The man who spoke was fair skinned, with black hair that framed his face. He was sitting on the edge of the ornamental desk located at the back, but it was the person seated behind the desk that dominated Tazawa's attention. Based on his appearance, with the blonde hair, silver armor, and almost divine aura, there was no doubt in his mind that he was in the presence of Naruto Uzumaki. For weeks he had thought over what he would do when he met the man who was leading his country to ruin, with most of his fantasies centered around violence and justice. Yet, now that he was finally in front of him, he had no words. In his eyes, the eyes of a young peasant who hadn't seen this world, there was no way this person could be human. Was he indeed a demigod as the people had said?

"Spies, I believe," the man who captured them, Sai, answered. "They were observing our scouting party. One of them was even preparing to attack them with a slingshot."

The first thing that followed Sai's explanation was melodious laughter. It was surprising to see Naruto laughing, even if it was in a very dignified manner. In Tazawa's eyes, a God of War shouldn't laugh or show any emotion at all. He had expected Naruto to be an intimidating, intense individual, and yet all he was seeing was a flaky blond no older than twenty years of age. Was this truly the man who could supposedly make Gods themselves flinch?

"A slingshot?" Naruto asked with a beautiful smile. "This child attempted an assassination with a slingshot? I suppose it is fortuitous that you caught him then; otherwise, I'm sure all of my scouts would be dead."

The clearly sarcastic comment was followed with more laughter, as even some of Naruto's guards began laughing at the admittedly funny situation. This pissed Tazawa off, and the anger made him forget his trepidation for a moment. He rose from his crouched position and pointed a finger at the blonde Duke of Whirlpool, who didn't seem surprised or worried at all, "Screw you, asshole!" Tazawa shouted, earning angered sounds from the surrounding guards. "You're lucky I'm unarmed, or I'd tear you a new one!"

The room went quiet, as it became clear to the three children that Naruto Uzumaki wasn't someone who was regularly insulted, especially not by some gutter rat of incredibly low status. Tazawa expected himself to be dragged away by one of the guards in response to his comment, but what he hadn't expected was a deep, guttural growl to echo throughout the tent. It was by far the most terrifying thing he had ever heard, but the fear he felt from it was immediately topped by the terror that wracked his body when the source of the sound revealed itself from behind the desk.

It was an enormous white tiger, looking hungry and enraged. Tazawa had heard the rumors of the massive beast that fought alongside the invaders, killing scores of men, but he had thought it was just that, a rumor. However, when the creature got to within an inch of his face and growled once more, showing off its incredibly sharp fangs, Tazawa was once again reminded that reality was often times more horrifying than rumors of stories.

Thankfully, before the beast could rip into Tazawa's flesh, a hand covered with an elegant silver gauntlet was lightly placed on the animal's head, causing it to immediately lie down on its stomach in submission, "Calm yourself, Daiki," he said with a smile before tenderly petting the creature on the head.

Before Tazawa could compose himself and think, the Naruto continued while still petting his tiger, "I'd recommend that you tell us who you are, where you're from, and your purpose for stalking my men. There is no way this ends well for you or your friends. If you don't cooperate, I can't help you."

Tazawa, in his stubbornness, refused to answer, but thankfully, Niwa was smart enough to understand their hopeless situation, "We're from a nearby village," she confessed, earning a scandalized look from her friend. "We meant no harm; we were only trying to protect our people."

Naruto merely hummed in response, but it was Itachi who spoke next, "There is only one village within the general area, and from what our scouts have discovered it has no ties to the resistance," he said, trying to make sure the children weren't tortured for information and then killed, which was their standard process for handling captured spies.

"Perhaps they are lying?" Sai chirped in, making a valid point. "They were approaching the vicinity of our camp before we apprehended them. How would these little children know where to look for us if they aren't working for our enemies?"

Naruto seemed to weigh the opinions of his trusted men, and the children were praying to the Gods that he wouldn't think they were lying. Watching this man contemplate whether or not to give them mercy, with such a nonchalant expression, made them realize why people feared him so much. Anyone who had the power to so casually decide whether or not someone would live and die was someone to be feared. His eyes also revealed nothing about him, making him an incredibly unreadable person.

"Hmm, what to do, what to do..." he said before smiling. "How about you share a meal with us tonight? I will use it as an opportunity to gauge your character and intentions. If I feel that you are genuine, you will be released back to your village."

 **~Break~**

Niwa was a bit nervous as she ate from her bowl of soup with trepidation. She and her friends were seated at one of the many campfires in the area, alongside Naruto and some of his men. The food was delicious, especially since they were all incredibly hungry. Hell, even Tazawa gave in to the temptation and was currently on his fourth bowl, making a lot of the soldiers laugh. Across the fire sat Naruto and his right-hand man, who she learned to be named Itachi. They were murmuring to each other, but occasionally Naruto would look up and smile at her, causing her face to turn red.

She was quite nervous to be eating dinner with a man who everyone believed to be a living God. He didn't seem like a God of War, as he was incredibly polite and pleasant, with a beautiful face and demeanor. Nevertheless, her mother told her that their country was being invaded by a cruel God, and her mother had never lied to her before. If he truly was a God though, it wouldn't surprise her, since he had an air about him that seemed incredibly supernatural.

"So what's this 'God of War' shit about anyway?" Tazawa blurted out toward their host between spoonfuls of soup. "You just seem like a weirdo to me."

One of Naruto's guards, Yamato, immediately rose from his seated position, "Silence, cur!" he warned. "You are speaking to Lord Naruto Uzumaki, Duke of Whirlpool and one of the Commanders of the Army of the Kingdom of Fire. Show some respect."

"It's fine, Yamato," Naruto said before turning to Tazawa. "And to answer your question, it is merely a title given to me by my enemies. You'll find I have many of those."

"Many enemies or many titles?" Niwa asked, finally gaining the courage to speak.

Naruto smirked at the question, "Both," was all he said before standing up. "Alright, I think I've seen enough. I don't believe that you are lying. In the morning you will be returned to your village."

The children were a bit surprised that someone who was portrayed as such a horrible villain seemed like such a kind person. This had been the best meal they'd had in months, and if he was telling the truth, he was prepared to let them go without any punishments. They were all grateful, even if Tazawa was too stubborn to show it. It was the charisma of Naruto on full display, as only he could even gain the admiration of the people whose country he was currently invading.

A few hours passed, and everyone was asleep in their tents. The three children were given a tent of their own, and the two boys were snoring incredibly loudly while Niwa started up at the top of the tent, unable to sleep with so many thoughts bouncing around her mind. Finally, she gave up and rose from the little sleeping mat provided to her from some of Naruto's men and went to find the answers she so desperately needed.

Upon exiting the tent, she was pleased to find out that everyone was asleep since she preferred to be discreet with what she was about to do. She navigated through the camp, occasionally hearing a muffled conversation of those who were also still awake. Eventually, she made it to her destination, which was the tent of Naruto himself, and she was surprised to see the faint candlelight from inside, showing that he was likely still awake; or he was afraid of the dark, though she was incredibly doubtful of that.

Not wanting to be secretive and give the impression that she intended to spy on him, she entered through the flap of his tent and was greeted with the image of him gazing at a large map covering a table at the center of the tent. His arms were crossed, with his right hand cradling his chin in contemplation. From the looks of it, he seemed to be preparing his next move, or rather, the next move of his army.

"What brings you here, little one?" he suddenly asked, not looking up from the map. "I had expected one of you to visit me in the evening, but I honestly thought it would be your hotheaded friend."

Deciding to get straight to the point, Niwa clenched her eyes shut before blurting out her question, "Why are you invading our homeland?"

If Naruto was surprised by her blunt question he didn't show it; in fact, he gave no outward reaction of any kind. Eventually, he sighed a weary sigh, before shifting his gaze from the map and toward the little girl that barely reached his waist. In his eyes, one so innocent should never have to grow up in a war ground, fearing for their life every day, wondering if peace would ever return. It was an existence unbefitting of a child.

"It is rather complicated, though I'd best describe it as retaliation," Naruto explained calmly. "Your King invaded our lands, and after repelling him, we are attempting to strike the final blow, to end any future bloodshed once and for all."

This only made Niwa angry, "My mommy and daddy didn't invade your country! My friends didn't invade your country, and all the people you've killed thus far didn't invade your country! You say you're doing this to punish the King, but all you've done is hurt innocent people!"

"That is what war is, child," he retorted stoically. "By definition, war is cruelty. The crueler it is, the sooner it ends **(1)**."

Niwa was a bit surprised by his response. She had half expected him to justify his actions, to say that what he was doing was just and honorable, "Then why would people fight in wars if being a bad person is what it takes to win?" she asked meekly, her previous fire having faded.

Naruto then smiled sadly before kneeling down to get at eye-level with the small child, "Well then, that is the ultimate question, is it not?" he asked. "Will the world always be wrought with war and fighting, or will there eventually come a day in which humanity can cooperate together? An era of peace and order, where war is no longer prevalent in our society."

For the most part, Niwa was able to understand what he was saying, though some of it was difficult to understand, after all, she was still but a child. Honestly, she spent most of the conversation getting lost in Naruto's cerulean blue eyes; eyes that seemed to hold a great number of secrets. She was smart enough to realize that she was currently in the presence of a man who would likely become a legend, the kind of man talked about in stories hundreds of years after his death. It was incredibly surreal to know that she was currently having an in-depth conversation with such a person.

"I am often referred to as a prodigy of war, someone with unmatched prowess for achieving victory after victory," Naruto continued. "I've never lost a battle, and have never hesitated to fight for the Kingdom of Fire, and it has created the misconception that I am some kind of God of War, who takes pleasure from what I do. However, it couldn't be further from the truth. To me, war is simply the means to an end, the most effective way for me to achieve my ambition. Nevertheless, I have stopped counting the many sleepless nights that have plagued me as a result of my quest. I have grown weary of it all."

"You don't look weary. You look strong!" Niwa retorted, not liking how sad Naruto was looking. "I've never seen anyone like you before. Never in my whole life!"

Naruto chuckled mirthlessly at the little girl's naiveté. He would have liked to believe that he was once like that, but in truth, he wasn't. His innocence died the moment he was born, the moment the beginning of his life marked the end of the life of his mother. He wasn't a person, he was a bastard born out of wedlock, and represented only shame and dishonor. The remainder of his life had been spent trying to prove to the world that he was something more than the bastard son of Minato Namikaze, and yet, even now that he stood as Duke, he didn't feel any different than he did all of those years ago.

"A leader must always appear strong, especially when they are vulnerable," Naruto explained wisely. "It is a heavy burden, one I hope that you never have to face in your lifetime, little one."

"What's a burden?" the young girl asked, her limited vocabulary finally getting the best of her.

Naruto frowned as he attempted to formulate the proper way to explain it to a child, "A burden is like an invisible weight that those with responsibility must constantly carry on their shoulders. The more responsibility you have, the heavier that weight gets, and eventually, you are crushed under it."

The girl could only nod, seeming to understand what he was saying to an extent. For Naruto, it was a rather pleasant change of pace to be speaking with someone in such a manner. Lately, all he'd been doing was military planning and political maneuvering. Spending an evening with Lady Tsume all those months ago only marked the beginning of his rise to power, and resulted in him needed to perform several more favors, though none of the same sexual nature. Therefore, for quite a while, he felt as if all his days were filled with him needing to impress and keep everyone happy, at the expense of his own wellbeing at times. Sure, he still had Itachi, and more recently, Izumi standing loyally at his side, but it still didn't lessen the stress. No matter how much they wished they could, those two would never be able to understand what he was currently experiencing, though he did bless them for their efforts.

After a few more minutes of talking, Niwa finally showed signs of exhaustion, and they scurried back to her tent, leaving Naruto alone to stew over his thoughts. He walked back over to the map of Lightning Country and returned to planning his next move. He and his men had been marching north for three months now, and were currently way ahead of schedule. If they kept up their current pace, they'd be at the gates of the Capital of Lightning Country a whole month before King Hiruzen and the remainder of their forces even arrived by sea.

"Lord Naruto, may I speak with you?" a voice suddenly spoke up, and he turned to see Izumi standing at the entrance of his tent, looking rather nervous.

Naruto merely smiled a beautiful smile before turning to face her directly, "You weren't eavesdropping on me and little Niwa's conversation, were you? That's rather naughty behavior, Izumi," he teased.

The Uchiha woman blushed in embarrassment before hurriedly speaking to clear her name, "O-Of course not, I merely came here to speak with you, and just so happened to overhear your discussion."

Naruto merely nodded in an exaggerated manner, which only served to make her blush even further. He then gestured toward his desk, which he then proceeded to sit behind, while she gratefully accepted the chair in front of the elegant looking ornate piece of furniture, "Well then, what is it that you need?" he asked while leaning back in relaxation.

All the previous timidness seemed to leave Izumi's face, and she straightened up before speaking, "I desire more responsibility, my liege. I wish to brandish some of the weight of the burden you so valiantly carry upon your shoulders."

Naruto was initially surprised by the request, but then came to realize that it should have been expected. Izumi's loyalty toward him currently bordered on fanatical, since he had enabled her to live out her dream of a soldier. One one hand, it made him happy to realize that he had such a loyal person on his side, but on the other hand, it made him sad. What had he done, but free her from the servitude of being a noblewoman, only to have her become a piece on his chessboard, willing to do anything that he asked? She was a human being, and much like with all his soldiers, it hurt him to realize that she was sacrificing her freedom and dreams just to help him reach his ambition.

"Do you understand the weight of my burden, or the extent by which I would go to reach my destiny?" asked in a deadly serious tone, in great contrast to his previous teasing one. "I would sacrifice anything and everything to achieve my dream: my humanity, my dignity, and even the countless lives of those I fight with and those I fight against. I sacrificed the right to call my child 'son' just so I could one day become King. I even sold my body to a Lady of the Court in exchange for power. Can you honestly say you're willing to do the same, all in the name of my ambition?"

Izumi was shocked beyond words, and her expression belayed her shock perfectly. Up until this point, she had likely viewed Naruto as a godlike figure, incapable of doing any wrong. And yet, she had just witnessed an incredibly human side of a person she thought to be much more. He was flawed, just like her, and while at first, it made her feel sadness, her feelings soon shifted toward elation. Lord Naruto was far more like her than she initially believed, he wasn't some divine entity that she could only hope to gaze upon in admiration for the remainder of her life. He was a human man, one who she could stand next to, not gaze upon from below.

"I would do anything for you, my Lord," she stated with absolute conviction. "I am yours, heart body and soul. Whatever you ask of me, I shall do. I would sooner see the world go to ruin than allow myself to stray from your side. You are the light of this world, the promise of a better future for everyone. One day, you will become King, even if doing so requires you to step over my corpse, and I will gladly die knowing that I made it so."

To prove her conviction, she rose from her seat, unbuckled her armor and watched as all of her clothing fell to the ground, leaving her entirely nude. She had never before been naked in front of anyone other than her handmaiden's during her time at her father's estate, so it was incredibly nerve wracking doing so in front of the person she respected above all others. His expression remained stoic, and he looked over her appraisingly.

"Gaze upon what is yours, your Grace," she said before lowing onto one knee, and lowering her head to face toward the ground. "From this day, until my last, you are my King."

Naruto's finger tapped on his desk, as he looked upon the young Uchiha woman with absolutely no emotion. It was beginning to make her nervous. Had she been too forward in her declaration? Did she give off the impression that she was attempting to seduce him? Her decision to remove her clothing was to make an offering of compete and utter fealty to this man. Not to say that she didn't dream of a life in which she and he shared a bed, but she knew that such a fantasy would never become a reality. She would settle for standing at his side, forever and always.

"Stand," he ordered while doing the same. Once she did so, she found herself staring into the most intense eyes she had ever seen in her life.

"Needless to say, Itachi thankfully never stripped buck naked when pledging loyalty to me, but I can't say I don't appreciate the gesture from one such as yourself," he suddenly joked, shifting back into a casual demeanor. Izumi's entire face was engulfed in a huge blush as she reached down to grab her clothing, putting it on faster than she ever had before. "Nevertheless, I accept your loyalty, and will be glad to have you standing at my side."

"T-Thank you, my Lord," she said graciously, before bowing her head and leaving her Commander back to his privacy.

Once she left, Naruto slouched forward in his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose due to the stress. Now there was another person willing to sacrifice anything for him. With so many such people at his side, failure was no longer an option.

No pressure, right?

 **~End~**

 **Hope you all enjoyed the newest update to the Cost of Ambition. This chapter was created in order to show the other side of the fight, the innocent people affected by the wars that Naruto takes part in. Up until now, it has been easy to just view the Kingdom of Lightning as the clear villains, but from the citizens of that country, it is easy to see why Naruto and the Kingdom of Fire are the villains in this case. At the end of the day, the traditional concept of 'hero' and 'villain' don't exist in this story, so it is up to you all to decide.**

 **This chapter also delves deeper into understanding Naruto better as a character. He's not some infallible guy, and at times gets very close to collapsing under the pressure of his dream. In the beginning, his dream to become King was just that, a simple dream. However, now there are countless numbers of people who have died and are willing to die for the sake of putting him on the throne, so now he feels that by reaching his destined throne, he is giving their sacrifice meaning. It puts a tremendous toll on him, as being such a way makes it difficult for him to form attachments to people, knowing that any day they can die in his name. Imagine how he would feel if Itachi were to die, you can only imagine how stressed he gets at the possibility of that occurring.**

 **Furthermore, for those who couldn't guess, Naruto's invasion of Lightning Country is based on Sherman's March to the Sea, and the quote marked with the symbol (1) is actually one adapted from Sherman himself. During the American Civil War, William Tecumseh Sherman led the Invasion of Georgia, and he left only destruction in his wake. He felt the best way to win the war quickly was to destroy the morale of the enemy, and is credited for embodying the combat strategy of 'total war', a type of war that is unrestricted in terms of the weapons used, the territory or combatants involved, or the objectives pursued, especially one in which the laws of war are disregarded. During his invasion of Georgia, his men actually burned the capital city of Atlanta to the ground, and Sherman is still severely hated by many in Georgie and the Southern region of the United States to this very day. Nevertheless, without his March to the Sea, the Union may have never won the Civil War, and Abraham Lincoln would have lost his campaign for reelection in 1864. Side note, for those of you who aren't interested in history or are not from the United States and don't care, I'd still recommend that you look up Sherman's March to the Sea, as it is fascinating and may even help you understand the next arc of this story even better.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading. Until next time.**


End file.
